At British Columbia’s election to elect a new Provincial legislature on May 12, the Green Party polled 8% of the total vote cast in all districts in the province. See this newspaper story, which labels the showing “poor”.
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On May 13, Illinois HB 723 was amended in the Senate Elections Committee, the very day it had been assigned to that committee. This indicates the legislative leadership is interested in passing it quickly. It restricts the ability of ballot-qualified parties to nominate someone after the primary is over. Existing law lets the party do this with no additional petition, but the bill requires that candidates nominated after the primary must submit a petition, to be circulated between mid-February and mid-April. The amendment reduces that petition from 5% of the last vote cast, to approximately one-half of 1% of the last vote cast.
On May 13, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard Minnesota Voters Alliance v City of Minneapolis, A09-182. This is the case in which opponents of IRV sued to stop Minneapolis from implementing IRV for elections for its own officers. Here is an article describing the argument.
On May 13, the Puerto Rico Election Commission ruled that the Independence Party is again a ballot-qualified party. The party had failed to poll 3% for Governor last year, so it had to complete a petition of 5% of the number of registered voters. The Commission ruled that the party’s petition has enough valid signatures. See this article in the Latin American Herald Tribune. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
Rob Richie has this analytical, fact-filled, lengthy op-ed in San Diego’s Union-Tribune, making the case for the National Popular Vote plan. Lots of opinion pieces on both sides of this issue are filled with cliche and add little but emotion to the debate. But Richie’s piece rises above the usual opinion piece.