SurveyUSA Poll Shows Proposition 14 Will Pass

On June 7, SurveyUSA released this poll for various California primary candidates and ballot measures, which shows that Proposition 14 will easily pass. It has 50% “Yes” and only 28% “No”, with 22% undecided.

Links within the poll link give considerable detail about the poll. Men are far more likely to have made up their mind on Proposition 14 than women, so far.

Surprising Boost for National Popular Vote Plan; New York Senate Passes it 51-7

On June 7, the National Popular Vote Plan made a big leap forward. The New York State Senate passed it by a vote of 51-7. A majority of Republicans voted for it, as well as a majority of Democrats. Generally in other states Republican state legislators have tended to vote against it.

The bill in New York is S2286. It had been introduced on February 17, 2009, and had passed the Senate Elections Committee on February 8, 2010. Thank to Barry Fadem for this news.

Ralph Nader, Christina Tobin, Both On-Air Today Against California’s Proposition 14

Ralph Nader will be interviewed on KGO radio (810 on the am dial) in San Francisco at 9:35 a.m., on the Ronn Owens show, about California’s Proposition 14, on Monday (today), June 7. Nader opposes Proposition 14, the top-two election measure that makes it impossible for voters to vote for anyone but a Democrat and/or a Republican in Congressional elections in November. This statement is based on what actually happened in Washington state when that state used a top-two system for the first time in 2008.

Christina Tobin, founder of Free and Equal, will be on KPFK radio (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles on Proposition 14, on Monday (today), June 7, at 4:30 p.m.

All times are Pacific time.

U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Alabama or Louisiana Ballot Access Cases

On June 7, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear two ballot access cases, one from Alabama and one from Louisiana. The Alabama case, Shugart v Chapman, 09-1221, challenged the number of signatures needed to put an independent candidate for U.S. House on the ballot, given that the state required more signatures for him than for an independent presidential candidate.

The Louisiana case involved whether Bob Barr should have been on the ballot in Louisiana. The Governor of Louisiana had set a later deadline, which Barr met, but the Secretary of State had set an earlier deadline than the Governor’s deadline, which Barr did not meet. The changes in deadlines were because of hurricanes. That case was called Libertarian Party v Dardenne, 09-1223.

The U.S. Supreme Court also refused to hear Rodearmel v Clinton, 09-797, which is not an election law case. It concerned whether Article I of the U.S. Constitution was violated when Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State. Article I, section 6, says no member of Congress is eligible to an appointed position if that person had been in Congress when the salary of that position had been raised. Congress had raised the salary of Secretary of State while Clinton had been a U.S. Senator. But when Clinton was appointed, Congress had lowered the salary back to what it had been before that raise.

California Libertarian Candidate Produces Own Radio Ad Against Proposition 14, Pays to Get it On Air

Gary Bryant, Libertarian Party candidate for California Assembly, 3rd district, has produced his own radio ad against Proposition 14, the top-two ballot measure on the June 8 ballot. He uses his own voice, and the ad lasts one minute. It cost him $205 to have it air four times on Monday, June 7, on KNCO, 830 on the dial, in Grass Valley, California.

Click here to listen to the ad.