On January 16, the Oklahoma Election Board web page posted new voter registration data. See it here.
The percentages are: Republican 48.25%; Democratic 35.32%; Libertarian .53%; independents and others 15.89%.
A year earlier, the percentages were: Republican 48.10%; Democratic 35.89%; Libertarian .49%; independents and others 15.52%. Thanks to Chris Powell for the link.
On January 15, the Kentucky Senate State and Local Government passed SB 3 unanimously. It moves elections for Governor and the other statewide state elected offices from the odd year before a presidential election, to presidential election years. Assuming it passes the legislature this year, voters would vote on the idea in November 2020. The change would not take effect until after the 2023 gubernatorial election. If the voters pass it, the candidates elected in 2023 would get five-year terms temporarily, and the next gubernatorial election would be 2028.
The only other states that elect governors in odd years are Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Kentucky holds state legislative elections in even years.
On January 9, Rocky De La Fuente filed this brief in De La Fuente v Raffensperger, n.d., 1:19cv-5323. This is the case over the Georgia presidential primary law that says the state party has complete control over who gets on its ballot.
On January 13, the Ninth Circuit set a briefing schedule for Thompson v Hebdon, 17-35019, the Alaska campaign finance case that the U.S. Supreme Court remanded on November 25, 2019. The first brief is due February 18, 2020, and all the briefs will be in by March 31.
This is the case that challenged the low limits on how much Alaska individuals may donate to candidates to state office, and to political parties. The case also challenges the Alaska law that makes it very difficult for out-of-state individuals to donate to Alaska parties or candidates. The Ninth Circuit had upheld the donation limits 3-0, and had upheld the barriers for out-of-state givers 2-1. Then the people who brought the lawsuit had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which sent the case back to the Ninth Circuit with instructions to hear it again. The U.S. Supreme Court remand suggested that the donation limits are too low, but didn’t say anything about the out-of-state issue.
On January 14, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a decision in Priorities USA v State of Missouri, SC97470. The case involved the state’s law on voters showing certain types of government photo-ID when they vote at the polls. The decision did not say the state can’t have a law requiring photo-ID. But it struck down the part of the law that says voters without the right kind of ID could vote provisionally, if they signed a statement saying that they don’t have proper ID. But the ballot wouldn’t count unless the voter returned later to show the correct kind of ID.
Here is the decision, which was 5-2. Thanks to Election Law Blog for the link.
