Connecticut Lets Qualified Parties Maintain Qualified Status Within Districts, Even if District Boundaries Change

Posted on by January 5, 2012
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Connecticut, like all states, changes the boundaries of its U.S. House districts, and its legislative districts, after each census. Connecticut law says a party that is not qualified statewide can still be ballot-qualified for any particular district if that party polled at least 1% in the last election for that particular district office. Connecticut law, since 2004, also says that a party’s qualified status within any particular district does not disappear just because the district changes its boundaries, as long as some fragment of the old district is still within the new district.

This is especially beneficial to the Working Families Party, which has qualified status in all five of the state’s U.S. House districts, and in 22 of the state’s 36 State Senate districts, and in 59 of the state’s 151 state assembly districts. Also, the Green Party has qualified status in three U.S. House districts, three State Senate districts, and four Assembly districts. The Libertarian Party has it in one State Senate district and one Assembly district. The Independent Party has it in one U.S. House district, four State Senate districts, and eight Assembly districts.

The Connecticut policy contrasts with Illinois policy. Illinois says that if a district boundary changes in the slightest degree, qualified status is eliminated. The Green Party is currently hoping the Illinois State Supreme Court will reverse that policy.

Virginia Governor and Lieutenant Governor Each Say They Favor Registration by Party

Posted on by January 5, 2012
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Virginia is one of twenty-one states in which the voter registration form doesn’t ask the voter to choose a party (that includes North Dakota, which does not even have voter registration). According to this story, both the Virginia Governor, Robert McDonnell, and the Lieutenant Governor, Bill Bolling, favor switching Virginia from a state without registration by party, to a state that has registration by party. Both McDonnell and Bolling are Republicans, and the legislature has a Republican majority.

The Virginia legislature is more active in even-numbered years than in odd-numbered years, so it is plausible a bill to make that change will pass during 2012, although of course it would not take effect until 2013.

The story also notes that the Virginia Republican Party will meet on January 21 and may scrap the “loyalty oath” administered to voters in the Republican presidential primary of March 6.

Tampa City Council Authorizes Security Upgrades in Advance of Republican National Convention

Posted on by January 5, 2012
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This story explains that the Tampa, Florida city council has just authorized millions of dollars for security measures, in preparation for the August 27-30 Republican National Convention. The appropriations include armored police vehicles and enhanced video cameras and upgrades for helicopters. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.

Americans Elect Web Page Now Lets Members Verify Identity

Posted on by January 5, 2012
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The Americans Elect web page now lets members sign in, and complete procedures designed to identify oneself and also to enable Americans Elect to verify that the member is a registered voter. Americans Elect already has approximately 400,000 members. A member is someone who has signed up to vote in the organization’s on-line presidential primary in June 2012. Once members complete this procedure, the member is a “delegate.”

Members complete this process by signing in, and then going to “My account” and then choosing “Voting Security.” Four activities are then required. First, the member confirms his or her e-mail address by entering it and having Americans Elect send a confirming e-mail. Then, the member chooses a strong PIN, which must be a number that is at least six digits. Then, the member chooses four security questions and provides the answers. These are similar to the security questions that banks use to know the identity of their on-line customers; the idea is that only the individual will know the answers to the chosen security questions. Finally, the member enters the residence address at which he or she is registered to vote, so that Americans Elect can cross-check with voter registration records that the member really is a registered voter.

Greenville, North Carolina Newspaper Urges Legislature to Pass Ballot Access Reform

Posted on by January 5, 2012
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The Daily Reflector, daily newspaper in Greenville, North Carolina, has this editorial, asking the legislature to pass HB 32, the ballot access reform bill that has already passed the House and which is pending in the State Senate.

The editorial is good, but it might confuse readers, because it implies that the Libertarian Party is not on the ballot. The Libertarian Party is on the ballot because it polled over 2% for Governor in 2008. However, it will go off the ballot in November 2012 if it doesn’t again poll 2% for Governor.