On July 3, the California Assembly Elections Committee passed SB 212. It lets all counties and cities use ranked choice voting for their own elections. Currently only charter counties and cities can do that. Thanks to Steve Chessin for this news.
4
California AB 681 passed the Senate Elections Committee on July 2, after having been amended. Originally it provided that election officials must send three notices in advance of a primary, telling them how they are registered, and explaining which parties let independent voters vote in their presidential primary. The bill now has the same provision, but it also lets voters change partisan affilation at the polls on primary election day.
On July 1, the North Carolina State Board of Elections filed this reply brief in Crowell v Bipartisan State Board of Elections, m.d., 1:17cv-515. This is the case that challenges the North Carolina law that prevents independent voters from ever being a member of the State Board, or any County Board of Elections.
On July 1, U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore, a Clinton appointee, enjoined a Houston, Texas requirement that city initiatives can only be circulated by registered voters in Houston. Pool v City of Houston, s.d., 4:19cv-2236. Here is the 20-page order.
The city argued that it doesn’t enforce the requirement, and also that the particular initiative being circulated by the plaintiffs would itself be unconstitutional (the initiative concerns campaign finance). The city also argued that the plaintiffs lack standing and that the case is not ripe. Judge Gilmore wrote that these arguments are unconvincing. Thanks to Trent Pool for this news.