This newspaper story from Great Britain says a neutral poll suggests that the Green Party will win its first seat in the British Parliament. Thanks to Green Party Watch for the link. Britain will hold a general election sometime in April, May, or June 2010.
The Birmingham News of February 8 has this editorial, urging the Alabama legislature to pass Rep. Cam Ward’s ballot access bill. Ward has improved the bill so that now it cuts the number of signatures, both for independent candidates and for new and previously unqualified political parties. Also it cuts the vote test for a party to retain its spot on the ballot. The bill is HB 142.
On February 7, the man who won the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Scott Cohen, dropped out of the race. See this story. Thanks to Clay Shentrup for the news.
Probably the Illinois Democratic Party will need to circulate a petition for whomever it chooses to fill the vacancy, under a law the legislature passed last year. UPDATE: in this situation, no petition is needed.
The Arkansas Green Party is not now on the ballot, even though it polled over 20% for U.S. Senate in 2008 and elected a state legislator. It will begin its drive to collect the required 10,000 valid signatures on March 20. The law requires the drive to be finished in 3 months. If the party wins its pending ballot access lawsuit, of course, it won’t need to complete this petition. The lawsuit challenges the law that says parties must be removed from the ballot after a presidential election, unless they poll at least 3% for President.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that he wants a national referendum on whether the United Kingdom should use Instant Runoff Voting in its parliamentary elections. The British term is the “Alternative Vote.” See this story. Thanks to Jonathan Lundell for the link.
