Prominent Democrat Removed from New York City Primary Ballot for Tiny Technicality

Posted on by July 25, 2009
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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.

Federal Government Still Hasn't Published 2008 Election Returns

Posted on by July 25, 2009
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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.

Federal Government Still Hasn’t Published 2008 Election Returns

Posted on by July 25, 2009
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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.

North Carolina Tax Department Will Honor Taxpayer Requests to Help Libertarian Party

Posted on by July 24, 2009
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North Carolina is one of 13 states in which state income tax forms ask the taxpayer if the taxpayer wants to make a donation to a particular ballot-qualified party. In eleven of those states, all ballot-qualified parties are listed on the form. But in North Carolina and Ohio, there are extra qualifying rules, and only larger qualified parties are listed on the income tax form.

North Carolina law says only ballot-qualified parties that have registration of at least 1% may be on the state income tax form. No party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, has ever had registration this high in North Carolina. Partly this is because the state revokes all of a party’s registrants when it goes off the ballot and converts them to independents.

However, in late 2008, when the tax returns for 2008 (to be filed in 2009) were being printed, someone in North Carolina government printed the Libertarian Party as a choice on the tax forms anyway, even though the party only had registration of .06%.

The Libertarian Party recently asked if the state would honor the wishes of taxpayers who had indicated on their tax forms that the party should receive a small donation. The state first said, “No”, but then changed its mind when someone found an Attorney General’s Opinion dated June 14, 1999, saying the when the state makes a mistake like this on its state income tax forms, it should honor the taxpayers’ wishes notwithstanding the law. The state says the party will receive a check in early August. Thanks to Barbara Howe for this news.

New York Independence Party Backs Republican for Special U.S. House Race

Posted on by July 24, 2009
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In a few months New York will fill the expected vacancy in the U.S. House seat, 23rd district. The seat will be vacant because incumbent Republican Congressmember John McHugh has accepted a job in the Executive Department, although he hasn’t resigned yet because he hasn’t been confirmed. On July 24, leaders of the Independence Party decided to support the Republican nominee, Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava, even though Democrats haven’t even chosen their nominee yet. See this Daily News story.

The Conservative Party is expected to run someone other than Scozzafava.