Month: August 2014

‘Arizona Freedom Summer’ 2014

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latino_vote_110210-thumb-640xauto-1468One Arizona, a non-partisan partnership dedicated to voter registration and bringing about full electoral participation by the Latino Community, today  launched “Arizona Freedom Summer” (2014 is the 50th Anniversary of Mississippi Freedom Summer). The Phoenix New Times reports, Groups Launch “Arizona Freedom Summer,” Campaign to Get Out the Latino Vote:

A coalition of immigrant rights groups held a press conference this morning to announce the launch of “Arizona Freedom Summer,” a campaign to get out the Latino vote in this fall’s elections.

The campaign’s name references the push to register African-American voters in the segregated Deep South about 50 years ago. But this time, volunteers came from the south to register voters here in Arizona. This morning, a bus with 43 volunteers from Arkansas arrived at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Phoenix. The visitors, members of an immigrant-rights non-profit called the Arkansas United Community Coalition, are here to share their knowledge with members of One Arizona, a non-partisan coalition of church groups, student organizations, and individuals working to get out the Latino vote and push for immigration reform.

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Plagiarism double standard (IOKIYAR)

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Sen. John Walsh (D-MT) has decided to drop out of the race for U.S. Senate, he announced on Thursday. The Billings Gazette reports, Walsh drops out of U.S. Senate race:

Sen. John Walsh said Thursday he is pulling out of the Senate race because his campaign was distracted by the controversy over allegations that he plagiarized a U.S. Army War College research paper.

Walsh, a Democrat, said he decided to drop out of the race. He had canceled campaign events this week as he and his family discussed what he would do.

The New York Times reported July 23 that Walsh had plagiarized large portions of the research paper in 2007.

Walsh will serve out the rest of his Senate term, which ends in early January 2015.

“I am ending my campaign so that I can focus on fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to me as your U.S. senator,” Walsh said in a statement to supporters. “You deserve someone who will always fight for Montana, and I will.”

The Montana Democratic Party now will choose a replacement for Walsh to appear on the Nov. 4 ballot, along with Republican Rep. Steve Daines and Libertarian Roger Roots.

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Voter ID: a solution in search of a problem, or just a means to an end?

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VotersA cause célèbre for conservative is the idea that hoards of non-citizens or impersonators are voting at the polls, and that’s why we must have voter ID at the polls. Conspiracy theorists like John Fund have turned this fear mongering into a profitable cottage industry.

I have posted about the several media and academic studies done over the years on this subject which entirely refute the fantasy that there is in-person “voter fraud” occurring at the polls. It is virtually non-existent.

Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola University Law School and an expert in constitutional law and the law of democracy, with a particular focus on election administration and redistricting, has the latest research. A comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast:

Voter ID laws are back in the news once again, with two new opinions from the Wisconsin Supreme Court late last week dealing with the state’s ID requirement, which would allow people to vote only if they provide certain forms of government-issued ID. The Court made some minor changes to the law but otherwise upheld it. However, the ID requirement is still on hold pending a federal lawsuit.

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The ‘Rising American Electorate’ – a tale of two polls

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Democrats are trying to solve their midterm election drop-off problem by increasing the voter participation of The Rising American Electorate. In the last midterm election:

In 2010, more than 71 million unmarried women, people of color and people under thirty—the groups that make up the Rising American Electorate and the majority of voting eligible members in America’s democracy—did not vote. Nearly two thirds of them, 46 million, were not registered to vote; 25 million were registered but did not vote. In 2008, the last presidential election year, more than 46 million Rising American Electorate members failed to vote. Of those non-voters, 37 million were not registered compared to 9 million who were.

Clearly, too many people are still standing on the sidelines of our democracy.

Democrats are investing $60 million this year to overcome their midterm election drop-off problem.

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Gov. Brewer drops a Ducey, endorses Scott Smith for Governor

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ClownCarThe editors of The Arizona Republic(an) today must be regretting their premature capitulation in writing off their favorite Scott Smith in their endorsement of “Cathi’s Clown” Doug Ducey for governor in the GOP primary. (The editors looked at the “skewed” poll numbers and decided that they wanted to bet on a winning horse, no principles or convictions involved).

It is widely reported today that Governor Jan Brewer, who has previously said that her choice of endorsing her successor was down to two candidates, will drop Doug Ducey and endorse Scott Smith for governor. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Moderate Republicans met with Brewer to urge endorsement of Scott Smith:

Gov. Jan Brewer will give her coveted endorsement to Scott Smith in the crowded GOP primary for governor at an event in Mesa on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the event.

The former Mesa mayor’s campaign announced today that Brewer and campaign supporters will join Smith at a special event at Cubs Park in Mesa.

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