On November 2, Oklahoma voters will be asked if they wish to pass Question 750, which lowers the number of signatures for statewide initiatives.  Current law says initiatives to change a statute need the signatures of 8% of the last vote cast.  Question 750 would change this to 8% of the vote cast in the last gubernatorial election.

In Oklahoma, as in all states, voter turnout is much higher in presidential years than in midterm years.  Thus, if voters approve Question 750, the result would be to make it easier to get initiatives on the ballot in midterm years.  The measure would have no impact on the number of signatures needed in presidential election years.

The legislature put this measure on the ballot, in 2009.  The voters must vote on the idea, because the State Constitution contains the requirements on how many signatures initiatives need, and the Constitution can’t be changed unless the voters agree.

On September 23, the West Virginia Supreme Court refused to take immediate jurisdiction of a lawsuit on whether the state should use one or two ballots in November.   The Secretary of State had ruled that there should only be one ballot, which would contain the regularly-scheduled elections, as well as several special elections.  An independent candidate had filed a lawsuit in the West Virginia Supreme Court, arguing there should be one ballot for the regularly-scheduled offices, and a separate ballot for the special elections.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party had filed a similar lawsuit in a lower state court.  The West Virginia Supreme Court wants the case heard by the lower court first.  See this story.  The lower court will hear the case on Friday, September 24.

On September 17, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, Heidi Rogers, withdrew from the race, and she also endorsed independent candidate Robert J. Healey.  Healey has been running, either as the nominee of the Cool Moose Party for Lieutenant Governor, or as an independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor, for years, on a platform of abolishing the office to save the state money.  Rogers says she agrees with Healey about abolishing the office.

Therefore, there will be three nominees on the November ballot for Lieutenant Governor:  Democratic nominee Elizabeth Roberts; Healey; and another independent candidate, Robert Venturini.

The Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor had been contested.  Rogers had defeated Kara Russo in that primary.  Russo, on learning that Rogers had withdrawn, sought to persuade the State Board of Elections that she should be listed on the November ballot as the Republican nominee.  Unfortunately for her, though, Republican Party officers don’t want any nominee for Lieutenant Governor, so they refused to nominate Russo as a substitute nominee.  There is no provision in the law to place the loser of a primary on the general election ballot, if the candidate’s own party doesn’t wish to nominate her.  Russo says it is unconstitutional to leave the Republican Party with no nominee, and that she will bring a lawsuit.  Thanks to Brandon Henderson for this news.