As noted earlier on this web page, a new party called the 1787 Party is in the process of being established. The blog Irregular Times has noted this development, and has turned its excellent investigative talents toward learning more about the party. Irregular Times was the best news source during the period 2010-2012 for news about Americans Elect. See here for the Irregular Times post about the 1787 Party.
On May 30, Ralph Nader asked the Maine Supreme Court to reconsider its May 23 opinion, which said he is not entitled to a trial in his lawsuit against the Democratic Party and its allies for their behavior in the 2004 presidential election. Here is the motion for reconsideration, which is eleven pages. When the motion talks about “petitioning”, it does not mean the process of circulating a petition to get on the ballot. In this context, “petitioning” means legal activity.
Even if you don’t read the entire document, be sure to read the last two pages.
On May 24, the Nevada legislature passed AB 48, the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill. Among other provisions, the bill sets up discriminatory filing deadlines for qualified parties to notify the state of their presidential and vice-presidential nominees. The larger parties continue to have a September deadline, but the smaller qualified parties must certify their nominees by the last Tuesday in August.
The June 2013 issue of Z Magazine has this article, making the case that voters worried about climate change should support the Green Party. The piece, by Scott McLarty, includes advocacy of alternate voting systems and chides Democratic Party lawmakers for their disinterest in that subject.
On June 5, the House Administration Committee heard testimony on HR 2115, which was introduced by Congresswoman Candace Miller (R-Michigan) to make it less likely that individual voters will vote in two states in the same election. Two witnesses testified in favor, but the President of the League of Women Voters, Elisabeth MacNamara, testified against the bill as currently written.
The bill amends the National Motor Registration Act of 1993 (“motor voter”) to provide that when anyone applies for a driver’s license, the state driver’s license application form must ask the applicant to indicate whether he or she resides in another state or resided in another state prior to applying, and if so, to indicate which state will be the voter’s residence for purposes of voting. If the applicant does mention another state, the other state’s driver’s license office will be notified.
Here is the testimony of the League of Women Voters against the bill. The League supports the goal of the bill but feels the bill as written is flawed. Here is a news story about the hearing.
