Another Georgia Ballot Access Reform Bill

Posted on by February 10, 2010
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Georgia Representative Bobby Reese (R-Sugar Hill) has introduced HB 1141, which improves ballot access for candidates who petition onto the November ballot. It lowers the candidate petition for statewide office from 1% of the number of registered voters to exactly 5,000 signatures. It lowers the candidate petition for U.S. House from 5% of the number of registered voters to 5,000 signatures.

This bill is different from SB 359, which expands the ability of a qualified statewide minor party to nominate for all partisan office, not just statewide office. Thanks to Jason Pye for this news. Both bills make excellent, but separate, improvements.

Britain Takes Big First Step Toward Instant Runoff Voting for House of Commons Elections

Posted on by February 10, 2010
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On the evening of February 9, the British House of Commons passed the preliminary stage of a bill to provide for a public vote next year on whether to use Instant Runoff Voting for parliamentary elections. See this story. The vote was 365-187. The bill has additional steps before it is passed by the House of Commons, and then it must receive attention in the House of Lords. The British term is “alternative vote.”

California Legislature Moves Closer to Confirming Abel Maldonado for Lieutenant Governor

Posted on by February 9, 2010
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On February 9, the California Assembly Rules Committee voted to send the nomination of Abel Maldonado, to be the new Lieutenant Governor, to the Assembly floor. California has no Lieutenant Governor now because the former incumbent, John Garamendi, was elected to Congress in a special election last year. California’s Constitution lets the Governor appoint vacancies in the statewide elected executive positions, subject to legislative veto. Maldonado is the State Senator who forced the California legislature to put the “top-two open primary” ballot measure on this year’s primary ballot. He had said he would not vote for the budget unless that were done.

Maldonado is a Republican, and Democrats control both houses of the California legislature. The Senate Rules Committee had approved Maldonado’s nomination earlier. In 2005, when California had a vacancy in the Secretary of State position, the Democratic-majority legislature also approved Governor Schwarzenegger’s nomination of a Republican to fill that vacancy.

Tennessee Legislator Gives Up Attempt to Require Proof of Citizenship to Accompany Voter Registration Forms

Posted on by February 9, 2010
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Last year, Tennessee Representative Eric Watson (R-Cleveland) introduced HB 270, to require new voters, when they register, to include a copy of a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate, to prove that the new voter is a U.S. Citizens. However, he has abandoned that part of the bill, and will amend it to simply put a severe warning on voter registration forms about the penalties for a non-citizen registering to vote. The bill had a hearing on February 9 and will hear the amended version on February 16.

Arizona has a similar law, but it is under attack in federal courts. The 9th circuit will probably issue an opinion soon. The Arizona case is Gonzalez v State of Arizona, 08-17094.