The Post Bulletin of Rochester, Minnesota has this op-ed in favor of the National Popular Vote plan. Minnesota has not passed the plan.
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Wired has this article by Drew Curtis, “Some day tech will end our dumb two-party system.” Curtis is one of only three candidates on the Kentucky ballot for Governor, in the election of November 3, 2015.
The article is thought-provoking, but its weakness is that Curtis doesn’t mention alternative voting systems, such as instant runoff voting or approval voting.
On October 26, Willis Carto, founder of the Populist Party, died in Virginia. He was 89. The Populist Party existed 1984-1994. It ran Bob Richards for President in 1984 (former Olympic champion); David Duke in 1988; and Bo Gritz in 1992. The New York Times has a lengthy obituary for him. Thanks to Jack Ross for the link.
The Oregon Secretary of State recently released the September 2015 voter registration data by party. See it here.
The new percentages are: Democratic 37.83%; Republican 29.65%; Independent Party 5.07%; Libertarian .81%; Working Families .54%; Pacific Green .45%; Constitution .17%; Progressive .09; Americans Elect .02%; other parties .93%; independent voters 24.44%. Americans Elect is no longer ballot-qualified, but Oregon law says recently disqualified parties continue to receive a registration tally for one more election, to see if they can get enough to re-qualify.
A year ago, the percentages were: Democratic 38.12; Republican 30.17%; Independent Party 4.82%; Libertarian .79%; Pacific Green .47%; Working Families .43%; Constitution .16%; Progressive .09%; Americans Elect .02%; other parties .98%; independent voters 23.94%.
Here is a news story about the Independent Party, which focuses on the new registration data.
The November 1, 2015 Washington Post has Jim Webb’s op-ed, “America needs an independent presidential candidate.”
Gawker has this commentary about Webb’s piece.