… Read more ...The recent Pew Research Center study points out that party identification is declining, while independents are on a dramatic incline, and that 43 percent of independents identify as squarely moderate. The future is bright for the independent movement. But the work has just begun, and we have a long road ahead.
This article by Paul Mitchell highlights how Top Two has impacted California elections, as opposed to how it was supposed to effect elections. Mitchell sets out to separate myth from reality:
… Read more ...Much of this year’s legislative and congressional drama has focused on the decennial redistricting, but the greater impact could come from our seemingly annual attempt to change election systems in California.
California Governor Jerry Brown’s web page has this area for commenting on a bill that he is about to either sign or veto. Near the top is a section “Please choose your subject” and there are many generic issues listed. Underneath the alphabetical list of generic subjects is a list of bills that are on his desk, to be either signed or vetoed.… Read more ...
Solomon Kleinsmith has this article about how top-two systems disadvantage candidates who are not backed by established figures in the two major parties. Kleinsmith is the founder of the blog “Rise of the Center”.
On January 14, Alaska Representative Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage) introduced HB 77, to provide for a top-two election system for state office and congress. The bill says that anyone who doesn’t qualify for the general election ballot may file as a declared write-in candidate for the November election, even if that person ran in the primary and didn’t place first or second.… Read more ...
Reprinted in full, with permission, from Ballot Access News.
Government-printed ballots in the United States were first created in 1888, and almost from the start, opponents of new and minor political parties started manipulating the ballot access laws to keep certain parties off the ballot. The first such instance was in Nevada, when the 1893 legislature increased the petition requirement for new parties and independent candidates to 10% of the last vote cast, in a vain attempt to keep the Peoples (Populist) Party off the ballot.… Read more ...
California is still counting ballots, but one Libertarian candidate has already broken a record. Pam Brown, running for Lt. Governor has received more than 525,000 votes. Current totals as of November 13, 2010:
| Gavin Newsom (Dem) | 4,530,039 |
50.2%
|
|
| Abel Maldonado (Rep) | 3,548,727 |
39.4%
|
|
| Jim King (AI) | 170,635 |
1.8%
|
|
| James “Jimi” Castillo (Grn) | 144,603 |
1.6%
|
|
| Pamela J. |
Press release emailed to contact.ipr@gmail.com:
Statement by Attorney Gautam Dutta in response to Governor Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Maldonado’s attacks on the SB 6 / Prop 14 lawsuit.
“Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado’s joint attacks on the SB 6 lawsuit are baseless attempts to deviate attention from the real issues at hand.… Read more ...
Press release emailed to contact.ipr@gmail.com:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As reported in the San Jose Mercury News Thursday, July 29, a lawsuit was filed charging that state Senate Bill 6 is unconstitutional. SB 6 is the legislation that put Proposition 14, the Top Two election system, on the June 8 California ballot.… Read more ...
Emailed to contact.ipr@gmail.com:
SAN FRANCISCO — A lawsuit was filed today seeking an injunction to stop the state of California from implementing Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), the law that carries out Proposition 14 (Top-Two Open Primary Act).
The court documents are available for download at http://businessandelectionlaw.com/sb6
The complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, argues SB 6 is unconstitutional because the law:
1.… Read more ...
Sent to contact.ipr@gmail.com:
Christina Tobin, StopTopTwo.org Chair and founder of Free and Equal Elections Foundation, issued a statement today promoting the ongoing efforts in opposition to Top Two election systems.
“StopTopTwo.org is alive and kicking, and we are going to continue fighting this Top Two election system wherever it pops up,” Christina Tobin said.… Read more ...
This New York Times article of June 9, about the passage of California’s Proposition 14, acknowledges the idea that California general election ballot access is now draconian for minor party and independent candidates.