On May 26, the San Francisco Labor Council held a press conference about California’s Proposition 14, the top-two measure. The Labor Video Project recorded the 10 minute event as a you tube. Speaking are representatives of four political parties, including Howard Epstein, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.
On May 27, California SB 1346 failed to pass the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill would have made it possible for willing counties to use Instant Runoff Voting in special legislative and congressional elections. The bill had earlier passed the Senate Elections Committee.
The Oklahoma legislature adjourns on the evening of May 28. The ballot access bill, HB 1072, may or may not pass on that final day. It has passed both houses of the legislature but in different forms, so a conference committee needs to report out one final version and then it needs a vote again in at least one house.
California SB 1140 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 27. It had passed the Senate Elections Committee on April 7. The bill will now move to the Senate floor. It makes it possible for unregistered voters to register on election day. Thanks to Calitics for this news.
The bill would not permit an unregistered voter to register at his or her neighborhood polling place. Instead, the unregistered voter would need to travel to the county’s elections office, or a satellite elections office. It would take effect in 2012.
The bill also pertains to a voter who is already registered, but wishes to change his or her party registration on primary election day. This aspect of the bill moves California closer to being a classic open primary state. A classic open primary is one in which a voter is free, on primary election day, to decide which party’s primary to vote in. However, the impact would be limited because of the bill’s requirement that the voter travel to a county elections office on election day, to register or re-register.
The U.S. Constitution, 24th amendment, prohibits poll taxes in federal elections. On May 27, the 9th circuit ruled that the 24th amendment does not prohibit states from conditioning restoration of voting rights (for ex-felons) on their having paid all their criminal fines and orders to pay restitution. Harvey v Brewer, 08-17253. The vote was 3-0.
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was on the 9th circuit panel, and she wrote the decision, which is 23 pages. The part about the fines and restitution is in the last third of the opinion. The first two-thirds of the opinion concerns another issue. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
