IRV Opponents In Pierce County, Washington, Hedge Their Bets About What Would Replace It

Posted on by September 23, 2009
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In 2006 the voters of Pierce County, Washington (which includes Tacoma) passed a measure to use Instant Runoff Voting for county offices. This year, the Pierce County Council put a repeal of IRV on the November 3, 2009 ballot. The repeal is known as Amendment Number 3. The existing charter says, “The elections of all County officials, except judges and Prosecuting Attorney, shall be conducted using IRV.” The proposed repeal would replace that with “The elections of all County officials, including judges and Prosecuting Attorney, shall be conducted according to the state election method.”

Kelly Haughton, a leader of the pro-IRV forces in Pierce County, has observed that the proposal does not say that elections for County office should use the “top-two” system, which Washington state currently uses. This is probably because no one in Washington can be certain what the future “state election method” will be, given that “top two” is still under attack in a U.S. District Court in Washington. The opponents of IRV were apparently being careful when they wrote their ballot question, so that if it passes, and if the state’s election system changes again in the future, the change won’t invalidate the County measure.

Massachusetts IRV Supporters Are Circulating Statewide Initiative for IRV

Posted on by September 23, 2009
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Supporters of Instant Runoff Voting launched a statewide initiative in Massachusetts on September 11. The proposed initiative would provide that IRV would be used in primaries and general elections, for all partisan federal and state office except President. The group only has until November 18 to submit approximately 66,594 valid signatures. It hopes to sign up 5,000 volunteers who will pledge to collect 20 signatures each. See the webpage here.

Mississippi Initiative Petition for Photo Voter-ID Unlikely to Qualify for 2010 Ballot

Posted on by September 23, 2009
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The Mississippi Republican Party, and the Mississippi Secretary of State, Delbert Hosemann, have been backing a proposed initiative to ask the voters if voters at the polls should be required to show govenment photo-ID. However, according to this story, the petition has not been making enough progress to qualify for the 2010 ballot. But, the drive can continue and possibly use the same signatures, plus many more additional signatures, to get on the 2011 ballot. Thanks to BallotBoxNews for the link.

Suffolk County Conservative Party Wins Lawsuit Against Raiders

Posted on by September 23, 2009
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On September 18, the New York Supreme Court, Suffolk County, won its lawsuit to expel a mass entry into the party by members of four organizations that represent Long Island police, especially the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association. New York state law already gives parties the ability to cancel the enrollment of registered members of the party who are not in sympathy with the principles of the party. In this particular case, Walsh v Abramowitz, 31670-09, that law was applied. The Court determined that a mass entry into the party had been made by police for the purposing of defeating the Suffolk County Sheriff for re-election. The Suffolk County Sheriff is an enrolled Conservative, and police were angry at him because of a dispute over whether police, or sheriffs, should have the job of patrolling the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news. As a result of the decision, ballots cast in the Conservative Party primary on Septemer 15, 2009 by the members who have now been expelled, will not be counted. Here is the 8-page decision.