New York State Posts Final 2012 Election Returns Tally; Presidential Vote Increases by 400,332 Votes

Posted on by December 31, 2012
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On December 31, the New York State Board of Elections posted the official November 2012 election returns. The final tally includes 400,332 votes that had not been counted when the state posted its tentative returns several weeks ago.

These tickets gained the following number of votes, compared to the tentative tally: Democratic 305,843; Republican 77,769; Working Families 6,587; Conservative 5,864; Green 2,030; Libertarian 1,892; Constitution 164; Party for Socialism and Liberation 137; declared write-in candidates up 46.

The new presidential totals in New York state are: Obama 4,471,871 (including 147,643 Working Families votes); Romney 2,485,432 (including 262,035 Conservative votes); Johnson 47,092; Stein 39,856; Goode 6,270; Lindsay 2,039; Rocky Anderson 212 (Justice); Stephen Durham 34 (Freedom Socialist); Tom Hoefling 34 (America’s Independent Party); James Harris 26 (Socialist Workers); Jerry White 19 (Socialist Equality); Jill Reed 12 (Twelve Visions); Merlin Miller 6 (American Third Position). See here for the New York State Board of Elections official returns.

David Wasserman’s election returns tally has already been adjusted to reflect the New York returns. See here. He shows these national presidential percentages: Obama 51.06%; Romney 47.21%; all others 1.73%. He shows the number of votes cast for President in 2012 is 129,066,357, which is a lower figure than his 2008 figure of 131,313,820. Wasserman also shows that Hawaii’s returns still aren’t final and official.

Texas Bills Introduced for Redistricting Commission

Posted on by December 31, 2012
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Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Texas legislature to establish bipartisan redistricting commissions.

HJR 38, by Mark Strama (D-Austin) would set up a commission to redistrict U.S. House districts and state legislative districts. It would consist of seven members. The most senior member of each house, among each of the two largest parties, would choose one member of the Commission. Three of those four commissioners would need to agree on the identity of the fifth member of the Commission. Then, the fifth member of the Commission would choose two retired federal judges, and the two judges would need to have been appointed by presidents of different political parties. The two judges would become the sixth and seventh members of the Commission.

The bill doesn’t provide for the possibility that only one, or no, retired federal judges would be willing to accept this work. Also it doesn’t provide for ties among a determination of which legislator in each house has the most seniority.

Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) has introduced SB 104, to establish a commission that would only draw U.S. House boundaries. It would have nine members. The two largest party caucuses in each House would each choose two members. Five of those eight would need to agree on the choice of the ninth member.

These bills leave virtually no role anyone but Democrats and Republicans to choose commission members.

Hatch Act Modernization Act Signed Into Law

Posted on by December 31, 2012
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On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed the Hatch Act Modernization Act into law. S2170 permits most local and state government employees to run for partisan office, even if part of their salary or other compensation is subsidized by federal funds. The act also treats employees of the District of Columbia as local employees, rather than federal employees, for purposes of the Hatch Act.

The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, prohibits federal employees from running for partisan office, and until this bill was signed, also prohibited certain local and state employees from running for partisan office as well.

In A Few States, Presidential Candidates Appeared on Ballot Even Though they had No Presidential Elector Candidates

Posted on by December 30, 2012
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Minor parties appeared on the presidential ballot in a few states last month, even though they submitted no presidential elector candidates. The Libertarian Parties of Nevada and West Virginia didn’t submit any presidential elector candidates. The Green Parties of Oregon and West Virginia didn’t submit any, either.

When a party submits no presidential elector candidates, it is admitting that it is certain it won’t carry that state, because if it believed it had even one chance in a trillion to win the election in that state, if it did win and yet had no presidential electors, the victory would have been utterly wasted.