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Georgia Administrative Law Judge Won’t Quash Subpoena Requiring President Obama to Appear in Qualifications Challenge

Posted on January 20, 2012 by adminJanuary 20, 2012

On January 20, a Georgia Administrative Law Judge refused to block a subpoena, which has been served on President Obama and which requires him to appear in Georgia for a hearing on whether he is eligible to have his name on the Democratic presidential primary. See this story.

The decision could be appealed, but Obama is also free to withdraw his name from the Georgia Democratic presidential primary. No other person is on the ballot in that primary. Here is the one-page order. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.

California Election Officials Struggle to Translate “Americans Elect” Into Spanish

Posted on January 20, 2012 by adminJanuary 20, 2012

California, like many other states, prints ballots and other election material in Spanish in certain parts of the state. The California Secretary of State has struggled with how to translate “Americans Elect” into Spanish, and has finally concluded that the name is too generic, and can’t be literally translated. So, “Americans Elect” will be on voter registration cards, and on ballots, as “Partido Americans Elect.”

UPDATE: Americans Elect has told California election officials that it wants its name translated into Spanish, so the Secretary of State is reconsidering.

California Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Eliminate Write-in Space on November Ballots

Posted on January 20, 2012 by adminJanuary 20, 2012

On January 19, the California Senate unanimously passed AB 1413, which, among other things, eliminates write-in space from November ballots for Congress and partisan state office. The bill now goes to the Assembly, because when it passed the Assembly last year, it didn’t have the same provisions.

Virginia Bill to Require Parties to Pay for Primaries is Defeated in Committee

Posted on January 20, 2012 by adminJanuary 20, 2012

On January 18, a Virginia legislative committee defeated HB 36. The bill would have required parties to pay the election-administration costs of their own primaries. The vote was 3-3. If the bill had been enacted, it is likely that the major parties would have switched most of their nominations to conventions.

The Committee has five Republicans and two Democrats. Both Democrats, James Scott and Lionell Spruill, voted “no.” Three of the Republicans voted for the bill: Mark Cole, R. Steven Landes, and John O’Bannon. One Republican, Israel O’Quinn, voted “no”. One Republican, Robert Bell, didn’t vote.

Idaho Bills to Abolish Presidential Primary

Posted on January 20, 2012 by adminJanuary 20, 2012

On January 19, the Idaho House State Affairs Committee introduced two bills to abolish the Idaho presidential primary. If enacted, they would take effect in time to cancel the 2012 presidential primary.

HB 391 abolishes presidential primaries. HB 392 also abolishes presidential primaries, and in addition it moves the primary for other office from May to early August.

The Democratic and Republican Parties in Idaho use caucuses to choose delegates to the national conventions. The existing Idaho presidential primary is a “beauty contest”, with no binding effect.