Iowa State Representative Peter Cownie (R-West Des Moines) will again introduce a bill to eliminate Iowa’s straight-ticket device, according to this news story.
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The U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. circuit, will hear Tuaua v USA, 13-5272, on February 9, 2015. This is the case over whether persons born in American Samoa are constitutionally entitled to be U.S. citizens, without having to go through the naturalization process. Some of the plaintiffs now live in one of the fifty states, but they are not permitted to vote if they haven’t gone through naturalization. Over the years, Congress by statute has authorized citizenship for the residents of other U.S. overseas possessions, but has never taken that step for American Samoa.
Eni Faleomavaega, the Delegate to the U.S. House from American Samoa when this case was filed, had intervened in the lawsuit in support of the status quo. However, he was defeated for re-election on November 4, 2014. Here is an article about his election defeat. The new Delegate is Aumua Radewagen.
This Los Angeles Times analysis of Mexico and Mexican public opinion says that the public is losing faith in democracy and in voting. The story shows a recent poll even shows that only 31% intend to vote in the 2015 congressional election. Thanks to Rick Kissell for the link.
On November 4, 2014, the voters of Shannon County, South Dakota, voted on whether to change the name of the county. The measure passed, 2,196 to 531. The new name of the county will be Oglala Lakota County.
On December 24, the challenge to the petition of Willie Wilson was dropped. See this news story. The challenge concerned the February 2015 election for Mayor of Chicago. Incumbent Mayor Emanuel is running for re-election and his campaign had challenged the signatures of Willie Wilson, an African-American businessman. The law requires 12,500 signatures, and Wilson had submitted 47,000. The challenge had received considerable publicity.