Maine Referendum in Support of Ranked Choice Voting Gathers 33,000 Signatures on First Day

Posted on by November 14, 2017
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Maine supporters of ranked choice voting are conducting a referendum petition drive, to fight last month’s new Maine law that suspends ranked choice voting until 2021. If the supporters obtain approximately 61,000 signatures in the next 80 days, the October 2017 law will be suspended until the voters vote on it in November 2018. If the law is suspended, then Maine will use ranked choice voting in the June 2018 primary.

The first day the petition could circulate happened to be November 7, 2017, which was local election day in Maine. Supporters of ranked choice voting collected signatures at the polls, and obtained approximately 33,000 signatures that day.

U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Minnesota Case on Political Clothing at the Polls

Posted on by November 14, 2017
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On November 13, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Minnesota Voters Alliance v Mansky, 16-1435. This is the case concerning Minnesota’s law forbidding any clothing at the polls, or anything attached to clothing, that has any political content. The lower federal courts had upheld the law.

It seems more likely than not that the Supreme Court will strike down the law. If so, depending on the reasoning, the eventual decision might be helpful to fight the California policy that does not permit a member of an unqualified party to have his or her party affiliation on the ballot, even though California does permit such party affiliations for candidates who are members of qualified parties. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.

Two Montana Towns Elect Write-in Candidates for Mayor

Posted on by November 13, 2017
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On November 7, many municipalities in Montana held city elections. In Hardin and also in Lodge Grass, a write-in candidate was elected Mayor. In both cases the write-in candidate defeated candidates whose names were on the ballot. They winners were Joe Purcell in Hardin, and James Dabney in Lodge Grass. See this story. Thanks to Darryl Perry for the link.