Louisiana holds a gubernatorial election later this month. Ten candidates are on the ballot, including one Republican, four Democrats, one Libertarian, and four independent candidates. According to this poll, sponsored by WWL-TV, all four Democrats combined are only polling 10% of the vote. Bobby Jindal, the only Republican running, is at 57%, and 29% of the voters are undecided. The Libertarian, Scott Lewis, is at 2%, and the four independents combined are at 3%.

The four Democrats are Tara Hollis at 5%, Cary Deaton at 2%, Trey Roberts at 2%, and Nik Bird Papazoglakis at 1%. Thanks to Political Wire for the link. Under Louisiana’s top-two system, which is different than the top-two systems in California and Washington, if Jindal gets over 50%, there will be no second round.

At the October 7 Ontario Legislative Assembly election, the share of the popular vote for each party is: Liberal 37.5%, Progressive Conservative 35.3%, New Democratic 23%, Green 3%, others .5%.

These results, like so many other Canadian and British election returns, are more evidence that just because a country does not use Proportional Representation, it does not follow that only two particular parties invariably receive the vast majority of the vote cast. Canada has tolerant and equal ballot access, and reasonable (though not ideal) rules for debate inclusion. In such a system, even with “first-past-the post”, there is room for more than two influential parties. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the election results.

The number of seats won is: Liberal 53, Progressive Conservative 37, New Democratic 17.

According to this story, if a U.S. District Court rules against New York state’s request for a waiver of the law that requires absentee overseas ballots to be mailed at least 45 days before any federal primary or federal election, then the U.S. government will seek a court order moving the September primary (for office other than president) from September to August.