College Park Becomes the Seventh Municipality in Maryland to Let Non-Citizens Vote in Local Elections

Posted on by September 13, 2017
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On September 12, the city council of College Park, Maryland, voted 4-3 to allow all adult residents (except ex-felons) to vote in city elections, regardless of citizenship status. See this story. College Park is in Montgomery County.

The other Maryland municipalities that already let non-citizens vote in local elections are Takoma Park, Somerset, Glen Echo, Martin’s Additions (all in Montgomery County); and also Hyattsville and Mt. Rainier (both of them are in Prince Georges County). Montgomery and Princes Georges Counties are the two Maryland counties that border Washington, D.C. Thanks to Michael Drucker for the news.

Oklahoma Election Returns for Special Legislative Election

Posted on by September 13, 2017
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On September 12, Oklahoma held a special election to fill the vacant state house seat, 46th district. Here are the unofficial returns. The only two candidates were a Democrat and a Republican. The Democrat won with 60.41%.

When this seat was last up, in November 2016, there were also just two candidates, a Democrat and a Republican. In that November 2016 election, the Republican won with 60.41% of the vote. It is just a coincidence that the percentage for the winner was the same in both elections. Jacob Rosecrants was the Democratic nominee in both elections. The district is centered on Norman.

Huffington Post Carries Article by Harry Kresky and Tiani Coleman, Urging More Government Control Over Political Parties

Posted on by September 13, 2017
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Huffington Post has this article by Harry Kresky and Tiani Coleman, urging that the government exert more control over political parties. The analysis simply assumes that the voters are never going to replace either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party with a new major party. The analysis therefore assumes that the only hope for more democratic control over the government is to force those two parties to be more internally democratic.

The article would be better if it mentioned the fact that voters in France this year formed a new party, and then put it into power. Similar events have happened in Canadian provincial elections, and in many Latin American countries. The United States signed the Helsinki Accords, and all the nations that signed pledged that they would not merge any political party with the government.

If Massachusetts Legislature Doesn’t Pass Bill Requiring Presidential Candidates to Reveal Tax Returns, an Initiative to Create the Law Will be Circulated

Posted on by September 13, 2017
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A group in Massachusetts has begun the preliminary steps to circulate an initiative, for a law that would require presidential candidates to reveal their income tax returns. The group presumably will abandon its plans if the Massachusetts legislature passes the same idea. The legislature is in session and has already held a hearing on that bill, SB 365. See this story.

The initiative first needs the signatures of 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, which is 64,750 signatures, by December 6. Then the legislature gets some more time to consider the idea. If the legislature doesn’t pass it, then initiative proponents must get another 10,792 signatures, and if they succeed, the measure would be on the November 2018 ballot.