On May 4, the 3rd circuit heard arguments in Carl Lewis’s lawsuit to get on the ballot, to run for the New Jersey State Senate in the June 2011 Democratic primary. See this story. Carl Lewis is well-known for his Olympic track success several decades ago. He has filed lawsuits in state court arguing that he meets the 4-year residency requirement, in addition to his federal lawsuit arguing that the State Constitutional provision violates the U.S. Constitution.
On May 4, the Missouri House passed SB 282, an omnibus election law bill. Among other provisions, it deletes the typographical error in the existing law that requires a petition to qualify a new party to list that party’s presidential nominee (if that party intends to run anyone for President) and its candidates for presidential elector.
The bill must now return to the Senate, because the House has added some unrelated provisions. Thanks to Ken Bush for this news.
On May 4, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee passed AB 459 by a vote of 14-2. This is the bill in which California would join the National Popular Vote Plan.
Paul Jacob, head of Citizens in Charge, which works to protect and expand the initiative process, has this column in Fox and Hounds. The column pokes fun at the California bills to force everyone who circulates an initiative, referendum or recall petition to wear large badges on their chests. Thanks to Tom Jones for the link.
The Economist has this article about the upcoming British vote on Instant Runoff Voting (called Alternative Voting in Britain, or “AV” for short). Toward the end of the article, one reads that the University of Essex studied exit polls and opinion polls from the last election, and predicted what would have happened if Britain had been using IRV in that election.
The actual results were: Conservative 305 seats, Labour 258 seats, Liberal Democrats 57 seats (the article doesn’t mention the seats won by other parties). Under IRV, the study predicts the results would have been: Conservative 283, Labour 248, Liberal Democrats 89. Thanks to Jerry Kunz for the link.
