Seven Democratic State Senators in Michigan have introduced Joint Resolution P. If enacted, it would ask the voters in 2014 if they wish to amend the state Constitution, to provide that all presidential electors in Michigan be those nominated by the party that placed first in the statewide vote, in presidential elections.

The proposal is badly worded, because it would foreclose any independent presidential candidate from ever carrying Michigan in the electoral college, even if he or she received more popular votes than any other presidential candidate. Also, it would bar Michigan from passing the National Popular Vote Plan idea. It was introduced to forestall any expected bill that would change Michigan’s presidential elector selection process to either letting each U.S. House district choose its own elector, or else letting the electors be based on the proportion of the popular vote that each candidate received in Michigan. Thanks to an anonymous commenter for this news.

On March 22, U.S. District Court Judge John A. Gibney ruled that Sa’ad El-Amin is entitled to a trial, in his lawsuit that alleges Virginia’s restrictions on ex-felon voting was motivated by an attempt to disenfranchise racial minorities. The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that states may ban voting by ex-felons, but if the motivation for the ban was racial animus, then they cannot, according to Hunter v Underwood, a 1985 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that arose in Alabama.

The case is El-Amin v McDonnell, 3:12cv-538. The opinion acknowledges that it will not be easy for El-Amin to win, because the Virginia restrictions on ex-felon voting were passed before the Civil War. However, the matter is complicated, and the Virginia Constitution of 1870 re-enacted the restrictions at a time when there was an opportunity for blacks to vote in Virginia (the 15th amendment was ratified on February 3, 1870, before the 1870 re-enactment of the Virginia restrictions).

Virginia does permit ex-felons to register to vote, but only if they go through a complicated application process. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.

On March 19, the Arizona Senate Elections Committee passed HCR 2026, which would put a ballot measure on the 2014 ballot. It would ask voters if they wish to stop funding campaigns for state office. The proposal would ask if the voters would rather send all the money now spent on campaigns to schools instead. The vote in Committee was 4-3.

The measure had passed the House on March 7 by 31-27. All Republicans except these five voted “Yes”: Brenda Barton, Doris Goodale, Ethan Orr, and Michelle Ugenti voted “no”, and Kelly Townsend didn’t vote. All Democrats who voted, voted “No.”

Funding for the existing program for public funding of campaigns comes from surcharges on criminal and traffic fines.