Currently, Alabama law permits petitioning and other activity at the polls on election day, as long as the petitioners or canvassers are at least 30 feet from the polling location. Representative Jack Williams (R-Birmingham) has introduced HB 44, to increase the prohibited zone to 150 feet from the polling location.
Late on February 7, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a two-page order, keeping Alejandrina Cabrera off the ballot for city council of San Luis, Arizona. The Court said it would explain its reasoning later. Cabrera was also kept off the ballot by the lower court, because the lower court had ruled that she doesn’t speak English well enough to comply with a state law that says public officials must speak English. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.
The Missouri Secretary of State’s web page has election returns for the presidential primaries. Use this link. Ten percent of the precincts have reported, and Rick Santorum is leading in the Republican primary.
On February 7, the North Carolina State Board of Elections said these presidential candidates will be on presidential primary ballots: the Democratic Party ballot will only contain President Obama’s name; the Republican Party ballot will list Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum; and the Libertarian Party ballot will list Roger Gary, R. J. Harris, Gary Johnson, Carl Person, Bill Still, and Lee Wrights.
North Carolina’s Board of Elections asks the party leadership to tell them which names to list. The party leaders are supposed to choose candidates who are discussed in the media. Any candidate not chosen by the party leadership can still run, but he or she needs 10,000 signatures of party members.
This will be the first time North Carolina has ever held a presidential primary for a party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties. Thanks to Brian Irving for this news.
On February 7, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors postponed consideration of two proposal concerning Instant Runoff Voting until February 14. One amendment abolishes IRV; the other expands the number of choices for a voter in a single race, beyond just first, second and third choice. If either or both pass on February 14, then they would go on the ballot for voters to decide.
