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Missouri Ballot Access Bill Passes House

Posted on March 8, 2012 by adminMarch 8, 2012

On March 8, the Missouri House passed HB 1236 by a vote of 144-1. It eliminates the typographical error, first created in 1993, that requires petitions to qualify a new party to list presidential elector candidates on the petition, if the group intends to have a presidential nominee that year.

The major point of the 1993 legislation was to permit parties to circulate their petitions before they chose their nominees. Then, after the petition was submitted, the newly-qualified party would nominate by convention. The error in the 1993 law, contradicting this goal as to presidential electors, should have been fixed long ago. Other bills to fix the problem have passed the legislature in past years, but because the fix was included in omnibus election law bills, sometimes those bills got vetoed because the Governor didn’t like an unrelated part of that same bill.

The only “No” vote was cast by Representative Rory Ellinger (D-University City). Thanks to Ken Bush for this news.

New York Times Article on Equal Time for Presidential Candidates in France

Posted on March 8, 2012 by adminMarch 8, 2012

This New York Times explains the French practice of requiring television and radio stations to provide equal amounts of air time for all presidential candidates, starting on the filing deadline for presidential candidates, and extending through the entire campaign season.

Lawrence Lessig Defends Americans Elect for Not Disclosing its Funders

Posted on March 8, 2012 by adminMarch 8, 2012

Lawrence Lessig here defends Americans Elect for not telling the world who is paying for its petition drives and its costs for setting up the on-line presidential primary. Lessig is the author of “Republic, Lost” and a leading critic of campaign finance practices in the U.S., and a law professor. Here is the wiki page about him. Thanks to Rick Hasen’s ElectionLawBlog for the link.

Forbes Column Says that the Constructal Law Predicts Inability of U.S. Two-Party System to Maintain Itself

Posted on March 8, 2012 by adminMarch 8, 2012

Anthony Wing Kosner has this Forbes column, arguing that a relatively new concept in physics, the Constructal Law, predicts that the U.S. habit of forcing all electoral activity into just two dominant political parties is not sustainable. The Constructal Law is explained in a 2012 book by Adrian Bejan and J. Peder Zane, “Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology, Physics, Technology, and Social Organization.”

Kosner is a design specialist. His column ought not to concede that the U.S. has always had a two-party system (although “two-party system” has many meanings, and people who use it ought to define it whenever they use it). In the 1850’s the United States had four major parties, and in the 1890’s it had three major parties. Also Wisconsin, in the period 1934-1944, had three major parties; and Minnesota in the period 1922-1942 also had three major parties.

The title of Kosner’s piece is “Duper Tuesday: Romney and Santorum Show we Already Have Three Parties (or More).”

Turnout in 2012 Presidential Primaries, So Far, is Comparatively Low

Posted on March 8, 2012 by adminMarch 8, 2012

On March 7, the Bipartisan Policy Center released this study of turnout in 2012 presidential primaries. It shows generally lower turnout than in past presidential primary seasons, but notes that 2012 presidential primary has been comparatively better in the states with open primaries or semi-closed primaries.

So far, the worst turnout in 2012 has been in Virginia, where only 4.6% of the eligible electorate chose to vote in the presidential primary.

the Bipartisan Policy Center was formed in 2007 by former U.S. Senate leaders Howard Baker, Bob Dole, George Mitchell,, and Tom Daschle. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.