Washington state on November 2, 2010, will have one statewide race on the ballot, U.S. Senate.  This SurveyUSA poll shows that in the August “top-two” primary, the first and second finishers will be incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray, and Republican Dino Rossi.

Fifteen candidates are on the August top-two primary.  SurveyUSA pollsters read the entire list to poll respondents.  The results:  Murray 37%, Rossi 33%, all thirteen other candidates 11% (combined), and 19% undecided.

The four candidates who have labels other than “I prefer the Democratic Party” or “I prefer the Republican Party” do poorly.  Mercer and Leonard, the two candidates with “no party preference” each have 0%.  Baker, whose ballot label is “I prefer the Reform Party” is also at 0%.  Said, whose label is “I prefer the Centrist Party” is at 1%.

These results confirm the predictions of top-two opponents, that the top-two system, for statewide office, inevitably produces a general election ballot with one Democrat, one Republican, and no one else.  Furthermore, Washington state this year won’t be producing a Voters Pamphlet for the August primary.  Washington state will produce a Voters Pamphlet for the November election, containing candidate statements.  So non-mainstream candidates will not only be shut out of the general election campaign, their campaigns between now and the August primary will be handicapped by the absence of a Voters Pamphlet.

On June 30, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver filed to run for re-election as an independent candidate.  See this story.  She had been elected in 1994 and 2002 as a Republican nominee.

Michigan election law provides that qualified political parties nominate candidates for Justice of the Supreme Court.  However, the general election ballot does not show party labels for candidates for that office.  In 2010, there are two seats up.  Weaver, even though elected as a Republican, has been at odds with the other Republican Justices, and when the Court had to choose a new Chief Justice from among its ranks, Weaver voted for a Democrat to be Chief Justice.

Republicans are expected to nominate someone else for the Weaver seat.  It remains to be seen if the Democratic Party state convention will nominate two Democratic candidates, or instead just nominate one Democrat and leave one slot open, thus giving tacit support to Weaver.  Thanks to Nicholas Madaj for the link.  Weaver does not need a petition to get on the ballot, because she is an incumbent.

On June 28, California SB 1203 was placed on the inactive file in the Assembly.  This probably means the bill is dead.  The bill required petition circulators to wear badges, saying whether they are paid or not, and also saying what county the circulator is registered in.  If the circulator was not a registered voter, the badge would give that information also.