New Zealand 2017 Election

Posted on by October 19, 2017
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New Zealand uses proportional representation. It held a parliamentary election on September 23, 2017. The results: National 56 seats, Labour 46, New Zealand First 9, Green 8, ACT 1. No party received a majority of the seats. On October 19, after intense negotiations, it was announced that the Labour Party would receive the support of the New Zealand First and Green Parties, to create a majority.

The ACT Party name means “Association of Consumers and Taxpayers” and is considered to be a free-market party.

Here is the wikipedia page about the election.

Two Useful Publications for 2016 Election Returns Expected in November 2017

Posted on by October 19, 2017
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Two reference publications that have official election returns for the 2016 elections are expected from the printer in November 2017. The Federal Election Commission always publishes a book of election returns, for federal office, after each congressional election. The next version will be called Federal Elections 2016 and the FEC expects to have it ready next month. The book is free and includes primaries as well as the general election.

Congressional Quarterly expects to publish America Votes 32, also in November. Each volume of America Votes has the general election vote for gubernatorial, presidential, and U.S. Senate races, by county, at least for the major parties. Other parts of the book include the total vote for all candidates who were on the ballot, along with declared write-in candidates if the state tallied them. The book includes primaries as well. This series of books, published every two years, has been appearing ever since 1956. Many public libraries carry them as reference books.

Alaska Democratic Party Wins Lawsuit on Who Can Run in the Party’s Primary

Posted on by October 18, 2017
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On October 17, an Alaska Superior Court ruled that if the Democratic Party wants to let registered independents run in the Democratic primary, then the party can do that, even though it violates election law. Alaska Democratic Party v State, 1ju-17-563. See this story. The 33-page ruling can be read here.

If an independent wins the Democratic primary, then, according to the court ruling, he or she will be labeled on the November ballot as a Democrat, because that is the party that nominated the individual. Thanks to Jim Riley for the link.