HR 811, the bill in Congress to require vote-counting machines to produce a paper trail, will not be taken up in the House until September 17 at the earliest. Congressman Rush Holt (D-N.J.) had hoped it would pass the House this week, but it has fierce opposition, both from elections officials who don’t want a paper trail, and from activists who want to eventually eliminate all electronic vote-counting machines. Thus the bill has enemies from both directions.
On September 12, a New Hampshire legislative subcommittee will hold a hearing on HB 48, which lowers the definition of “party” from a group that polled 4%, to a group that polled 2%. New Hampshire is one of only 15 states which currently recognizes only the Democratic and Republican Parties. The median vote test of the 50 states is 2%, so New Hampshire law is tougher than the average law.
On September 12, a New Hampshire legislative subcommittee will hold a hearing on HB 48, which lowers the definition of “party” from a group that polled 4%, to a group that polled 2%. New Hampshire is one of only 15 states which currently recognizes only the Democratic and Republican Parties. The median vote test of the 50 states is 2%, so New Hampshire law is tougher than the average law.
On September 6, the California Assembly passed SB 408 by a vote of 46-27. It makes it illegal for anyone to circulate a statewide initiative petition if he or she had not been eligible to register to vote at the time of the previous election. This makes it impossible for 18-year-olds to circulate an initiative if they had not been age 18 at the time of the last election. It also makes it impossible for people who have recently moved into the state to circulate. It is possible Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will veto it.
The New York election law case being argued in the U.S. Supreme Court on October 3 will feature three attorneys. Arguing for Margarita Lopez Torres and her fellow plaintiffs (candidates who have been excluded from New York Republican and Democratic primary ballots, and voters who want to vote for them) is Frederick A. O. “Fritz” Schwarz. He has been involved in the lawsuit since the beginning. He is Chair of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, a former Chief Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and a leader of the Brennan Center for Justice.
Arguing in defense of New York state election laws are two attorneys. Theodore Olson is a former Solicitor General under our current president, and has argued in the U.S. Supreme Court on 46 occasions. He was not involved with the case until it reached the U.S. Supreme Court. He will speak on behalf of the New York State Board of Elections.
Andrew Rossman will also argue on the side of the state, but he will be representing the Democratic Party of Manhatten (i.e., New York County). He has been involved in this case in the lower courts. It will be his first time arguing in the U.S. Supreme Court.
