On December 15, one Oregon presidential elector, Shirley Cairns, was unable to reach the state capital city of Salem by noon, the hour set for Oregon presidential electors to vote. Therefore, the other 6 presidential electors used their legal authority to choose a replacement. They chose Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. See this story. Cairns didn’t attend because the Oregon weather interfered.
On December 16, the 8th circuit affirmed a U.S. District Court decision in Cottier v City of Martin, 07-1628. The 8th circuit agrees that the U.S. District Court was correct to order the city of Martin to use cumulative voting for its city council elections, even though there is no provision in South Dakota state law for cities to use that system. “Cumulative voting” gives each voter 3 votes, and all candidates run at-large. A voter is free to use the 3 votes to either give one vote to each of 3 different candidates, or give all 3 votes to one candidate, or to give 2 votes to one candidate and one vote to another candidate.
Almost 40% of Martin’s registered voters are Native Americans, but the old single-member district system (3 districts) has prevented any Native Americans from being elected since the last reapportionment. Native Americans aren’t a majority in any of the 3 districts. The City itself, and the U.S. District Court, had previously determined that the housing patterns are such that it is impossible to draw district lines that provide for a majority Native American district.
The Ohio legislature elected in 2006 is still in session, but it expects to adjourn on Thursday, December 18. A few days ago it passed an election law bill, SB 380, which relates to early voting. However, no legislator introduced any bill to replace the old, void ballot access procedures for new and minor political parties.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner testified recently in an Ohio legislative hearing that the state has paid out over $1,000,000 in attorneys fees, in election law cases, this past year. When she took office in January 2007, Ohio was involved in 22 election law lawsuits. Although that has now been whittled down to 10 still outstanding, new cases have been filed this year.
The Ohio legislature elected in 2006 is still in session, but it expects to adjourn on Thursday, December 18. A few days ago it passed an election law bill, SB 380, which relates to early voting. However, no legislator introduced any bill to replace the old, void ballot access procedures for new and minor political parties.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner testified recently in an Ohio legislative hearing that the state has paid out over $1,000,000 in attorneys fees, in election law cases, this past year. When she took office in January 2007, Ohio was involved in 22 election law lawsuits. Although that has now been whittled down to 10 still outstanding, new cases have been filed this year.
For the first time since 1996, no presidential electors voted differently than they were expected to vote. On December 15, Barack Obama received 365 electoral votes and John McCain received 173.
In 2004, one of the Minnesota Democratic electors had voted for John Edwards for president instead of John Kerry. And in 2000, one of the D.C. Democratic electors had abstained rather than voting for Al Gore.
