Portland, Maine Greens won two spots on the city council on November 7, and retained all four Greens who had already been serving on the city’s Board of Education.
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Six Vermont Progressives were elected to the Vermont legislature, and Rick Jore of the Constitution Party was elected in Montana. This is the first time the Constitution Party has ever elected a state legislator.
The Green Party’s legislator in Maine, John Eder, was defeated for re-election.
Thanks to Eric Prindle for the info on the Vermont Progressives.
Contrary to the posting made last night, complete returns show that the Nevada Green Party has regained its qualified status, which had been lost in 2004. The party polled 1.2% for Governor, meeting the 1% vote test.
At least two races for Secretary of State involved a contest between a major party nominee who supports alternative voting systems, versus one who doesn’t. In California, Democrat Debra Bowen ousted Republican Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, which is gain for supporters of alternative voting systems. But in Colorado, Republican Mike Coffman defeated Democrat Ken Gordon for the open Secretary of State position.
All four ballot measures to institute alternative voting systems passed on November 7. Oakland, California, passed IRV for city office by 68%. Minneapolis passed IRV for city office by 65%.
Two more advanced forms seem to have passed narrowly. In Pierce County, Washington (that state’s 2nd most populous county, which contains Tacoma), all partisan county offices will apparently no longer have partisan primaries. Instead, there will be a single election in November, using IRV. Although ballot access will be easy for all candidates, party labels will be restricted to those candidates who had won their party’s nomination by convention, in advance of the election. Pierce County now more closely approximates the systems used by Ireland and the Australia than any other jurisdiction in the U.S. The Pierce County measure was the only one affecting partisan elections. Thanks to Bob Richard for helping make this post more accurate.
Finally, Davis passed advisory measure L (with 55%), which provides for Single Transferrable Vote for multi-winner offices such as City Council-at-large. Like all California elections for city office, Davis uses non-oartisan elections. However, Davis will now apparently share the characteristic of Cambridge, Massachusetts, under which an organized minority of voters can place a candidate on the city council if that minority comprises approximately 25% (in Cambridge the threshold is lower than 25%, because Cambridge elects more members to its city council).