The North Carolina legislature adjourned at 10:30 pm Thursday evening, August 2. Neither bill concerning the electoral college passed. Those bills were SB 353 (letting each U.S. House district elect its own presidential elector) and SB 954 (the National Popular Vote Plan). Democrats control both houses of the North Carolina legislature and hold the governorship.
The U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City will take testimony in Yes on Term Limits v Savage on August 20, Monday, starting at 10 am. This is the case over whether the U.S. Constitution permits Oklahoma to bar out-of-state initiative petition circulators. The case number is 5:07-cv-680; the Judge is Tim Leonard.
See here for a useful chart that lists all instances when the voters of any jurisdiction voted on whether to use any variation of Ranked Choice Voting. The chart has the date of the election, what the results were, and what has happened as a result.
This amicus curiae brief was filed on July 30 by the Center for Competitive Democracy, in support of the Pennsylvania ballot access case Rogers v Cortes. It is short (10 pages of text), clear and powerful. Thanks to all who have contributed to COFOE (Coalition for Free & Open Elections) to pay for this brief, and thanks to Oliver B. Hall, who wrote the brief.
On July 31, Montana State Republican Chair proposed that the party hold a caucus on February 5 to choose delegates to the national convention. Erik Iverson’s plan must be approved by the State Central Committee and the National Committee, to take effect. It calls for an exclusive caucus. Unlike normal caucuses, only party officials and state and federal office-holders could attend. The total sum of such people is 2,262 individuals. The caucus would be “winner-take-all.”
Montana and South Dakota are the only remaining states with presidential primaries being held in June 2008. Presumbly, if the Iverson proposal takes effect, the Republican contenders would not participate in the Montana presidential primary.
