New Nevada Registration Data Shows Slightly Higher Percentages for Minor Parties, Independents

Posted on by October 14, 2009
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Nevada is one of the states that issues updated voter registration data every month. Here is a link to the Secretary of State’s registration data. Independent Political Report noticed that the Las Vegas Sun recently ran an article about the impressive share of the voters in Nevada who are registered in the Independent American Party, the Nevada state affiliate of the Constitution Party. Thanks to Independent Political Report for this link.

The Secretary of State purged the voter registration rolls during January 2009, so the newspaper appropriately started with a comparison of the February 2009 data with the September 2009 data.

In February 2009, the percentages (for active voters) were: Democratic 43.76%, Republican 35.81%, independents 15.24%, Independent American Party 4.00%, Libertarian .56%, Green .275%, unqualified parties .35%.

In September 2009, the percentages (again, for active voters) are: Democratic 43.72%, Republican 35.58%, independents 15.40%, Independent American Party 4.10%, Libertarian .58%, Green .278%, unqualified parties .35%.

9th Circuit Panel Seems Unlikely to Rule in Favor of Petition Secrecy

Posted on by October 14, 2009
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On October 14, a 3-judge panel of the 9th circuit heard arguments in Doe v Reed, the case over whether the names and addresses of people who sign referendum petitions should be made public, or whether the Constitution protects the privacy of petition signers. The specific case arose in the R-71 battle. This year, the Washington state legislature passed a bill to provide for civil unions for same-sex couples. Because Washington state has the Referendum process, opponents of the bill filed a petition to call for a vote on the law, so that it will not go into effect unless the voters approve. The election is on November 3, 2009, and the measure is Referendum 71 on the ballot.

The panel consisted of Judges Harry Pregerson (a Carter appointee), A. Wallace Tashima (a Clinton appointee), and N. Randy Smith (a Bush, Jr. appointee). Judges Pregerson and Tashima seemed to feel there is no need for privacy for this particular petition. Judge Tashima asked, “What are the signers afraid of?” He also asked, “Can we take judicial notice of the fact that the plaintiffs represent people who are in the majority? This isn’t a persecuted minority.” The attorney for the plaintiffs said, “We don’t know yet which side is in the majority.” But one of the judges responded by saying, “You’ve won all the elections around the country so far.” Judge Tashima also said that confrontation is just part of politics.

In the meantime, also on October 14, a state court in Washington state ruled that, pending the decision from the 9th circuit, all petitions will be kept secret, not just the R-71 petitions. Judge Richard Hicks of Thurston County Superior Court made this decision, in a lawsuit filed by Tim Eyman, who has sponsored many initiatives in Washington.

Illinois House Overwhelmingly Overrides Veto of HB 723

Posted on by October 14, 2009
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On October 14, the Illinois House voted to override Governor Pat Quinn’s veto of HB 723 by a vote of 107-9. The bill now goes to the Senate, which will probably also vote to override the veto.

HB 723 makes it more difficult for ballot-qualified parties to nominate candidates. Specifically, it says that when a party committee chooses a nominee after the primary (because no one had run in the primary), the nominee won’t be put on the November ballot unless he or she submits a petition. The petition has no logical function. A petition to get on a primary ballot has a certain purpose, to keep the primary ballot from being too crowded. A petition to put an independent candidate on the general election has the same purpose.

But in the case of a ballot-qualified party nominating someone by committee or convention, the general election ballot is protected from being too crowded by the state’s restrictions on how a party becomes ballot-qualified. Illinois is so strict on allowing groups to become ballot-qualified, there have only been two parties (other than the Democratic and Republican Parties) that have been ballot-qualified (for all office) in Illinois in the last 80 years: the Green Party 2006 to the present, and the Illinois Solidarity Party 1986-1990.

Tom Campbell, Leading Republican Candidate for California Governor, Reported to Support "Top-Two"

Posted on by October 14, 2009
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According to this Los Angeles Times news story about Tom Campbell, the Republican gubernatorial candidate supports the “top-two” ballot measure that will be on the California ballot in June 2010. This news is surprising, because Campbell was against the idea when it was last on the California ballot, in November 2004. Also, Campbell has been a professor of both law and economics, and he probably knows that political scientists are almost unanimously opposed to the measure. In 2008, Professor Paul Gronke, a political scientist at Reed College, polled the 600 members of the Political Methodology list-serve, and found only one political scientist who said he was in favor of the idea.

One reason Campbell may have changed his mind about “top-two” is that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is strongly in favor of the measure. Campbell’s position in favor of “top-two” makes it likely that Schwarzenegger will support him in next year’s Republican primary. It is reported that the Governor is even thinking of appointing Campbell to be California’s next Lieutenant Governor. That position is expected to become vacant on November 3, 2009, when John Garamendi, the existing Lieutenant Governor, will probably be elected to Congress in a special election. Also, because California’s three most influential newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee, all support “top-two”, Campbell’s support for “top-two” will enhance his prospects of getting their endorsement.

Campbell has also changed his position on whether marijuana should be decriminalized. For decades he has advocated for decriminalization, but this year, he is opposed to the idea.

Tom Campbell, Leading Republican Candidate for California Governor, Reported to Support “Top-Two”

Posted on by October 14, 2009
9

According to this Los Angeles Times news story about Tom Campbell, the Republican gubernatorial candidate supports the “top-two” ballot measure that will be on the California ballot in June 2010. This news is surprising, because Campbell was against the idea when it was last on the California ballot, in November 2004. Also, Campbell has been a professor of both law and economics, and he probably knows that political scientists are almost unanimously opposed to the measure. In 2008, Professor Paul Gronke, a political scientist at Reed College, polled the 600 members of the Political Methodology list-serve, and found only one political scientist who said he was in favor of the idea.

One reason Campbell may have changed his mind about “top-two” is that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is strongly in favor of the measure. Campbell’s position in favor of “top-two” makes it likely that Schwarzenegger will support him in next year’s Republican primary. It is reported that the Governor is even thinking of appointing Campbell to be California’s next Lieutenant Governor. That position is expected to become vacant on November 3, 2009, when John Garamendi, the existing Lieutenant Governor, will probably be elected to Congress in a special election. Also, because California’s three most influential newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee, all support “top-two”, Campbell’s support for “top-two” will enhance his prospects of getting their endorsement.

Campbell has also changed his position on whether marijuana should be decriminalized. For decades he has advocated for decriminalization, but this year, he is opposed to the idea.