In late March, 2017, Scott Donahue, Mayor of Emeryville, California, changed his registration from the Democratic Party to the Green Party. He was elected to the city council for the first time in 2014 and is serving a four-year term. Emeryville voters do not vote directly for Mayor; they elect five members to the council, and the council chooses the Mayor. Donahue was chosen Mayor in late 2016.
Emeryville has a population of 10,000 and is a neighbor of Oakland and Berkeley.
U.S. District Court Judge Joel Slomsky will hear Little v Vasquez on Wednesday, September 13, at 2 p.m. This is the lawsuit filed by the Republican nominee and the Green nominee in the special legislative election in Philadelphia that has held on March 21, 2017. The Democratic and Green nominees were both write-in candidates. The only name on the ballot was the Republican nominee, Lucinda Little. The Green nominee was Cheri Honkala; she placed second, ahead of the Republican.
The plaintiffs argue that the election was so flawed that the results should be set aside. The Republican and Green nominees charge that polling place officials actively encouraged voters to cast a write-in for the Democratic nominee.
This case has moved slowly because the defendants took so long to answer the complaint.
The Sixth Circuit web page lets anyone listen to recent oral arguments. Here is a link to the 35-minute argument in George v Hargett, 16-5563. This is the case over whether a 2014 amendment to the Tennessee Constitution passed. It clearly got a majority of the vote, but opponents of the measure argue that the state Constitution does not permit voters to vote on amendments unless they vote for Governor. In order for that interpretation to be followed, a recount of all the ballots would be needed to filter out ballots that left Governor blank.
It seems fairly clear to me that the Sixth Circuit will reverse the U.S. District Court, and uphold the state, which says there is no requirement that voters who abstained for Governor must not vote for amendments either.
This Los Angeles Times article says four Democrats who are running for California Lieutenant Governor have raised at least $600,000 in campaign funds, and a fifth who might seek that office has raised $2.8 million. It also says, “So far, no major Republican candidates are actively campaigning for Lieutenant Governor.”
Under the top-two system that has been in effect in California since 2011, this probably means that the only two choices on the November 2018 ballot for Lieutenant Governor will be two Democrats. No write-ins will be permitted.
California elections for Lieutenant Governor are separate from gubernatorial elections. The only other populous state that has separate elections for Governor and Lieutenant Governor is Texas.
As noted earlier, the Illinois legislature passed SB 1933 at the end of May, and sent it to Governor Bruce Rauner on June 29. It provides that election officials will register every adult citizen known to exist, unless the individual declines. The State Journal-Register has this editorial, urging the Governor to sign the bill. He has until August 28 to act. The August 1, 2017 print Ballot Access News was in error when it said the deadline to act on the bill is July 29.
