On April 1, the Hendersonville, North Carolina, city council voted to continue using Instant Runoff Voting for its own city elections. See this story. The city used IRV in 2007 and 2009.
However, the city cannot continue to use it, unless the legislature extends the pilot program. The pilot program only authorized cities to use it twice.
On April 12, the 9th circuit will hear oral arguments in McComish v Bennett, 10-15165. This is the case on whether the Arizona public funding program for candidates for state office can be used this year.
The panel will be Judges A. Wallace Tashima and Sidney Thomas (both Clinton appointees) and Judge Andrew Kleinfeld (a Bush Sr. appointee). The hearing will be in San Francisco.
The U.S. District Court had said that the parts of the public funding program that give extra public funds to privately-funded candidates who have raised considerable money are unconstitutional. And, the U.S. District Court said the unconstitutional part can’t be separated out from the other part, so the program can’t be used this year.
The April 4 issue of the Casper Star-Tribune, one of the largest newspapers in Wyoming, has this article about the Libertarian Party and its candidate for Governor. The story mentions that so far, no Democrat has announced a run for that office. The only two parties that nominate by primary in 2010 in Wyoming are the Democratic and Republican Parties. Those major party primaries are on August 17. Candidates must file for the primary by May 28.
On April 3, officers of the state Alabama Republican Party voted to prevent State Senator Harri Anne Smith from placing her name on the June 1 primary ballot. She wants to run for re-election to the State Senate, 29th district, in southeast Alabama.
The party said she was denied the right to file because in 2008 she endorsed a Democrat, Bobby Bright, for U.S. House. Alabama law gives parties the ability to bar “disloyal” members from running in party primaries.
Smith says she may run for re-election as an independent. If she does, she will need approximately 1,100 valid signatures by June 1. She was elected as a Republican to the State Senate in 1998, 2002, and 2006. In the 2002 general election, she was unopposed. In the 2006 general election, she received 26,507 votes and her Democratic opponent received 8,710. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.
On April 3, officers of the state Alabama Republican Party voted to prevent State Senator Harri Anne Smith from placing her name on the June 1 primary ballot. She wants to run for re-election to the State Senate, 29th district, in southeast Alabama.
The party said she was denied the right to file because in 2008 she endorsed a Democrat, Bobby Bright, for U.S. House. Alabama law gives parties the ability to bar “disloyal” members from running in party primaries.
Smith says she may run for re-election as an independent. If she does, she will need approximately 1,100 valid signatures by June 1. She was elected as a Republican to the State Senate in 1998, 2002, and 2006. In the 2002 general election, she was unopposed. In the 2006 general election, she received 26,507 votes and her Democratic opponent received 8,710. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.
