United Russia, the party that has been ruling Russia for many years, failed to poll as much as 50% of the popular vote in the December 4 Parliamentary elections, according to this and many other news stories.
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Every week, the Americans Elect web page displays the number of signatures that have been collected so far on its various petitions for party status. This last week’s total is 2,152,890, which is 45,148 more than the total a week before then.
The Wausau Daily Herald has this compelling feature story about Ruthelle Frank, an 84-year old in Brokaw, Wisconsin, who is a local public official and someone who will not be able to vote due to the state’s new law requiring voters to show a government photo-ID, unless she spends hundreds of dollars. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
This New York Times story explores the means by which China prevents candidates for local office from running, or at least from winning, unless they are the nominees of the Communist Party.
On December 3, Newt Gingrich spoke to a town hall meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, New York city. He took questions from the audience. Frank Morano asked him if he would consider a general election presidential debate that included all the candidates on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win the election. Gingrich replied that he would not do that, and that all minor party activity in 2012 would be helping Obama to win.