The law blog “U.S. Ninth Circuit” has this interesting story about the March 6 decision of the 9th circuit in Los Angeles County Libertarian Party v Bowen. Thanks to John Jascob for the link.
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Voters in the New Orleans area voted on November 6, 2012, on whether bridge tolls should remain on a crossing over the Mississippi River. The vote for tolls passed by only 36 votes. But then it was discovered that provisional ballots did not include the ballot measure, so the vote has been invalidated and a new vote will be held in May. See this story.
Los Angeles elected a new mayor, and members of the city council, on March 5. This Los Angeles Times story says even after all the ballots are counted, turnout will be under 20% of the registered voters. Los Angeles, like all cities in California, uses non-partisan elections.
The results, as of the morning of March 7, are: Eric Garcetti 93,978; Wendy Greuel 83,308; Kevin James 46,684; Jan Perry 45,480; Emanuel Pleitez 11,716; Norton Sandler 1,598; Addie Miller 1,401; Yehuda Draiman 1,174. No one got as much as 50%, so there will be a run-off on May 21.
Norton Sandler was the Socialist Workers Party candidate. His percentage, .56%, is not as high as the percentage received by the Socialist Workers nominee in the 2009 Mayoral election. In the 2009 election, James Harris received .90%.
Since 1954, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission has had a regulation making it illegal for a business with a liquor license to display a sign indicating support for a candidate or a political party. However, the ACLU sued in federal court last October, and the Commission has now eliminated that regulation. The case was Contreras v Deloney, eastern district, 2:2012-cv-14616. It was dismissed on December 28, 2012, after the Commission promised to end the regulation. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
On February 4, the North Dakota Senate passed SB 2213, which repeals a law passed in 1911 that makes it illegal for anyone to try to persuade any voter to vote for or against any candidate on election day. Last October, a U.S. District Court enjoined the law. The case has been on hold, to give the legislature an opportunity to repeal the law.
SB 2213 repeals the restriction, but it also says that it is still illegal to try to influence a voter on election day within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place. The old law made a general exception for campaign bumper stickers on vehicles. The bill says that it remains legal for an automobile with a campaign bumper sticker to be within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, but that the driver must drive the car away as soon as he or she has voted.