The paper issues of Ballot Access News from 1993 are now available on-line. This is due to the kind efforts of Michael Ravnitzky and Eric Garris. To see them, use the link to “paper issues” on the right, under “previous issues.”
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For some time, the British Conservative Party has been experimenting with choosing its candidates for the House of Commons by open meeting, at which any British voter (who lives in that district) may attend and vote. Now the Conservative Party is starting to send ballots to all the voters of a particular constituency in the postal mail, to choose its nominees. See this BBC story.
The next House of Commons election has not yet been called, but parties in Britain traditionally choose their nominees early, because no one ever knows when the next election will be called.
On July 23, the New York City Board of Elections removed Bill De Blasio from the Democratic primary ballot, because his 125,000 signatures were accompanied by a Cover Sheet that said he was submitting 131 volumes of signatures. Actually he submitted 132 volumes.
De Blasio is a member of the City Council from Brooklyn who is running for Public Advocate. Public Advocate is one of three partisan citywide elected offices, along with Mayor and Comptroller. In the past, the name of the office was “President of the City Council”, and the Public Advocate does preside at city council meetings, and functions as New York City’s “Lieutenant Governor”, although the election for Public Advocate is not teamed with the election for Mayor.
New York state is the only state that requires candidates to submit a “cover sheet” with their petitions. The cover sheet must describe the petition. The ostensible purpose is to make life easier for individuals who want to challenge petitions.
De Blasio filed a lawsuit in state court on July 24, which will be heard on Monday, July 27. Thanks to Christina Tobin for this news. Here is a story about De Blasio’s petition, and here is a New York Times editorial.
The incumbent Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, is not running for re-election. Other Democrats running for the post are Eric Gioia, Mark Green, and Norman Siegel.
The Federal Election Commission still hasn’t published “Federal Elections 2008”, the book of election returns, for President and Congress, from last year’s election. The 2004 edition had been published in May 2005. The 2006 edition had been published in June 2007.
Also, the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives still hasn’t published “Statistics of the Presidential & Congressional Election of November 4, 2008”. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this.
The Federal Election Commission still hasn’t published “Federal Elections 2008”, the book of election returns, for President and Congress, from last year’s election. The 2004 edition had been published in May 2005. The 2006 edition had been published in June 2007.
Also, the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives still hasn’t published “Statistics of the Presidential & Congressional Election of November 4, 2008”. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this.