Poll for Special California U.S. House Race Shows “Other” at 6%

Posted on by October 31, 2009
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On October 30, SurveyUSA released this poll, for the special U.S. House race in California’s 10th district. The poll only asked people to choose the Democratic nominee, the Republican nominee, or “other”. The results: John Garamendi (Dem.) 50%, David Harmer (Rep.) 40%, “Other” 6%. The other ballot-listed nominees are from the American Independent, the Green, and the Peace & Freedom Parties.

It is likely most of the other vote is going to the Green and/or Peace & Freedom Parties, because the “Other” voters were far more likely to have voted for Obama than for McCain. All the voters intending to vote “other” describe themselves predominently as “liberal” rather than “moderate” or “conservative.” See details of the poll here.

Illinois Statewide Green Candidates file Petitions to Get Themselves on Green Party Primary Ballot

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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On October 30, the Illinois Green Party members who are running for statewide office in 2010 filed petitions to get themselves on their own party’s primary ballot. In most states, when a candidate files to get on his or her own party’s primary ballot, that is scarcely news. But in Illinois, election laws make it difficult for candidates to get on primary ballots. The statewide candidates each needed 5,000 valid signatures. See this story. The deadline isn’t until November 2, and there will be more news after that day on how many Greens filed to get on their own party’s primary ballot for Congress, state legislature, and county office.

Working Families Party May Elect City Council, School Board Seats in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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Bridgeport, Connecticut, like other towns in that state, is hold local partisan elections on November 3, 2009. In Bridgeport, and certain other Connecticut towns, no one political party is permitted to run a full slate of candidates. This guarantees that local legislative bodies will not be comprised entirely of members of the strongest party.

Because the second-biggest party is guaranteed to win some seats, generally the Bridgeport city council and School Board are composed of Democratic and Republican nominees. However, this year, observers feel that it is not clear whether the Working Families Party or the Republican Party will win the seats reserved for the second strongest party. And, in the School Board race, one Republican member, Sauda Efia Baraka, who was denied renomination by the Republican Party is running for re-election as the Working Families Party nominee. See this story.

Arizona State Court Judge Voids 2009 Law To Increase Number of County Supervisors in Pinal County

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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Arizona law has long required counties with a population of more than 200,000 to have 5 county supervisors. Arizona county supervisors are elected on a partisan basis. Smaller counties may have 3 county supervisors.

In 2009, the legislature passed a bill that pertains only to Pinal County, and tells Pinal County to have a 5-member board, and to elect two new members in 2010. Pinal County had under 200,000 people in the 2000 census, so it only has 3 county supervisors. Populations estimates are that Pinal County is far above that level now, but this won’t be known officially until the 2010 census is taken, so if the 2009 bill had not passed, Pinal County wouldn’t have gone from a 3-member Board to a 5-member Board until 2011.

On October 30, a Superior Court Judge in Phoenix declared that the 2009 law violates the state Constitution, which bans “local or special laws.” The case was heard in Phoenix because all the judges in Pinal County had recused themselves. The Arizona legislature has a Republican majority, and Pinal County has a Democratic majority on its county Board, so the motivation for the bill had been Republican hopes that adding two new members to the Board in 2010 would give a Republican majority. Pinal County occupies most of the territory between Phoenix and Tucson. See this story.