On the evening of November 11, the Michigan House passed the National Popular Vote Plan bill by 65-26. Since the Michigan House is fairly evenly balanced between the two major parties, this vote showed surprising support for the idea from Republicans.
A bill has been pre-filed in the Arkansas legislature to move the presidential primary from February to May. It is HB 1021, sponsored by a Democrat and a Republican. For commentary, see here.
Official returns in all states that held U.S. Senate elections last month reveal these national totals:
| Democratic |
34,481,981
|
52.10%
|
| Republican |
29,492,211
|
44.56%
|
| Libertarian |
807,520
|
1.22%
|
| Independence (Minnesota) |
437,404
|
.66%
|
| Green |
436,600
|
.66%
|
| Constitution |
227,529
|
.34%
|
| Independent Green (Virginia) |
21,690
|
.03%
|
| Natural Law |
18,550
|
.03%
|
| Reform |
16,443
|
.02%
|
| Alaskan Independence |
13,197
|
.02%
|
| independent candidates |
224,934
|
.34%
|
This compilation only includes the regularly-scheduled elections. Six years ago, when these same seats were up, Republican nominees polled 50.25% and Democratic nominees polled 46.09%.
On December 10, the Michigan House Ethics and Elections Committee passed HB 6610, the national popular vote plan. The bill had been introduced on November 6, 2008. The Michigan legislature that is sitting now is the legislature that was elected in 2006. The new session doesn’t start until January 2009. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
Virginia has a law that makes it illegal for a voter at the polls “to exhibit any ballot, ticket, or other campaign material to any person or to solicit or in any manner attempt to influence any person in casting his vote.” In 2008, the Virginia State Board of Elections issued a regulation, interpreting this law to mean that voters may not wear anything that mentions a candidate who is on the ballot. On December 10, a lawsuit was filed in federal court that challenges the regulation. Borak v Rodrigues, U.S. District Court, eastern district, 3:08cv-809. Read the complaint here. The case was filed by the Virginia ACLU, the Thomas Jefferson Center, and the Rutherford Institute.
The plaintiffs were wearing buttons or stickers on their clothes. They say they weren’t trying to influence any other person’s vote.
