California Legislature Passes Bill to Fully Inform Independent Voters of Their Primary Ballot Choices

Posted on by September 12, 2017
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On September 11, the California legislature passed AB 837 by a vote of 54-20. It now goes to Governor Jerry Brown. It requires election officials to inform independent voters that they may choose the primary ballot of one of the various parties that let independents participate. For now, it only affects presidential primaries, but there is nothing in the language of the bill that would not also apply to primaries for other office, if California ever restores party primaries for other offices.

In Four States, It Has Been Over Fifty Years Since Both Major Parties Ran a Full Slate of U.S. House Candidates

Posted on by September 11, 2017
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Ballot access laws for U.S. House are harsher than they are for any other office. This is ironic, considering that the founding fathers expected the U.S. House to be the most democratic branch of the federal government.

In four states, it has been over fifty years since both the Republican and Democratic Parties ran a candidate in each district in that state. The four states, with the last year in which both major parties had a candidate in each district, are: Florida 1926; Louisiana 1902; Massachusetts 1950; and Texas 1964.

As to third parties, Massachusetts has the worst record. No party, other than the Republican and Democratic Parties, has run a full slate since 1890, when the Prohibition Party did so. Also, in Georgia and Texas, no third party has run a full slate since 1894, when the Peoples Party did so. In modern times the Texas Libertarian Party would have run a full slate, except that it always chose never to run against Ron Paul, so it has never run a full slate.

Lawsuit on Michigan Straight-Ticket Device May be Decided by Jury

Posted on by September 11, 2017
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The case pending in U.S. District Court over whether the Michigan legislature violated the U.S. Constitution when it repealed the straight-ticket device is likely to be decided by a federal jury. The trial is set to begin February 6, 2018, at 9 a.m. Discovery must be completed by September 29, 2017. The case is Michigan State A. Philip Randolph Institute v Johnson, e.d., 2:16cv-11844.