On March 11, Ross Mirkarimi told the press that he has changed his voter registration from “Green” to “Democratic”. See this story from the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Mirkarimi had been the Green Party’s only county supervisor in California, although the party still has some California city councilmembers, and has Mayor of Richmond, California, is a registered Green. Thanks to Irv Sutley for this news.
According to this story, no Democrat has declared so far for Secretary of State of Wyoming for 2010. The Democrats didn’t run anyone for this office in either 2006 or 2002. As a result, both times, the Libertarian Party polled over 10% of the vote for its nominee for Secretary of State in both years, which caused it to be classed as a major party, with its own primary, in the years 2004 and 2008. Parties that poll over 2% but under 10% are also ballot-qualified, but they nominate by convention.
The Wyoming vote test applies every two years, so in presidential election years, when Secretary of State is not on the ballot, the Libertarian Party never gets 10% for any statewide office. It does normally get 2%, so it nominated by convention in 2002 and 2006.
The Wyoming Constitution Party is petitioning to get on the ballot, and if it qualifies, it will probably run a candidate for Secretary of State this year, and would be overwhelmingly likely to poll at least 2% for that office, and be on the ballot automatically for 2012. The party needs 4,988 valid signatures by June 1.
On March 9, a Michigan State Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the list of which voters chose a Democratic presidential primary ballot, or a Republican presidential primary ballot, in the January 2008 presidential primaries, is public information. Practical Political Consulting v Land, 291176. Here is the decision. The majority opinion is 19 pages and the dissent is 19 pages. Thanks to John Anthony La Pietra for the link.
The 2008 Democratic presidential primary results had been: Clinton 328,309; uncommitted 238,168; Kucinich 21,715; Dodd 3,845; Gravel 2,361. Most observers believe that many Democrats chose a Republican primary ballot, because the Democratic ballot did not carry the names of Barack Obama or John Edwards. They had boycotted the Democratic primary because the national party rules didn’t permit the party to recognize a primary that early, in a state other than New Hampshire.
The Republican primary results had been: Romney 338,316; McCain 257,985; Huckabee 139,764; Paul 54,475; Thompson 32,159; Giuliani 24,725; uncommitted 18,118; Hunter 2,819; Tancredo 457; Brownback 351.
If the state doesn’t appeal to the State Supreme Court, the lists will become public. Chances are, some Michigan Democratic Party office-holders voted in the Republican Party’s presidential primary, and they won’t especially enjoy having that become publicly known.
The Rio Grande Sun of Espanola, New Mexico, has this story about the reasons why the State Elections Director recently resigned his position, including the Director’s assertion that the Secretary of State pressured employees of the office to each obtain 1,000 signatures on her petition to get on the primary ballot.
The Rio Grande Sun of Espanola, New Mexico, has this story about the reasons why the State Elections Director recently resigned his position, including the Director’s assertion that the Secretary of State pressured employees of the office to each obtain 1,000 signatures on her petition to get on the primary ballot.
