Illinois Independent Redistricting Initiative Faces Legal Fight to Get on November 2016 Ballot

Posted on by May 13, 2016
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Once again, an Illinois statewide initiative to create an independent redistricting commission (to draw state legislative districts) is fighting to get on the ballot. See this story. Although the initiative has twice as many signatures as are required, it is being challenged on the basis that the Illinois Constitution does not permit initiatives on this subject.

Illinois has had the statewide initiative since 1979, but in all those years, only one initiative has ever appeared on the ballot. That is because the state constitution only permits initiatives that affect the legislature. The initiative that qualified eliminated cumulative voting and multi-member districts for the Illinois House. Thanks to Jan Tucker for the link.

Richmond Times-Dispatch Article Explains that Presidential Write-ins are Only Counted for Declared Write-in Presidential Candidates

Posted on by May 12, 2016
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This year, many U.S. voters are telling pollsters and other news sources that they intend to cast a write-in vote for President in November. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has this story, explaining to Virginia voters that only presidential write-ins cast for a declared write-in candidate will be tallied. Virginia is typical in that regard.

Jon Keyser, A Leading Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate in Colorado, Fights to Remain on Ballot

Posted on by May 12, 2016
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Jon Keyser, one of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Colorado, is on the August primary ballot. However, his spot is being challenged by activists who say they have identified ten voters whose signatures are on the petition, but who say they didn’t sign it. See this story. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.

California Secretary of State Issues New Registration Data but Withholds Data for Reform and Constitution Parties, Even Though Secretary of State’s Web Page says they are Political Bodies

Posted on by May 12, 2016
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Ever since 1962, the California Secretary of State has been issuing a book titled “Report of Registration”. Ever since 1974, it has included registration data not only for the qualified parties, but for all the political bodies. A “political body” is a group that has told the Secretary of State that it is trying to qualify by obtaining enough registrations. The purpose of including the data in the book is to help these groups know how much progress they are making.

On May 12, the California Secretary of State issued his Report of Registration as of April 8, 2016, but the book, for the first time ever, omits any data for some of the political bodies. The Secretary of State’s web page lists the parties attempting to qualify, but three of the four of them are not mentioned in this Report. Instead, the Report mentions some political bodies that had been trying to qualify by January 2016, but which failed to do so, so they are no longer political bodies. They may re-file, but they are too late to qualify for the June 2016 primary, and any filing they make now would be either for the 2016 presidential election, or for the 2018 election.