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9th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down Tucson’s electoral system, appeal to follow

November 11, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Back in May, the U.S. District Court upheld Tucson’s electoral system. The Republican plaintiffs appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Tuesday, a week after the Tucson mayor and council election, the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 in favor of the plaintiffs, the first time since voters enacted the electoral system in the Tucson City Charter in 1930 that someone has successfully challenged the electoral system in court. Tucson’s electoral system has passed muster in numerous legal challenges and DOJ preclearance reviews under the Voting Rights Act in the past.

Here is the Ninth Circuit opinion (.pdf) in Public Integrity Alliance v City of Tucson, 15-16142.

The local reporting on this case is lacking in analysis. It does not appear that anyone has actually read the opinion past the headnotes of the case, and threw in some quotes from the litigants and political party officials. Pro Tip: actually read the case including the dissent, which in this case is the far better reasoned opinion than the majority opinion (albeit with some minor errors in citation). The dissenting opinion should instruct the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sitting en banc and/or the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chris Christie vetoes universal (automatic) voter registration bill

November 9, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s presidential campaign is circling the drain, Next GOP debate: Christie, Huckabee bumped from main stage, so naturally the “Bridgegate” Bully has turned to a perennial GOP favorite to gain some attention — and notoriety — voter suppression.

Think Progress reports, Chris Christie Vetoes Legislation Making It Easier To Vote In New Jersey:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed legislation Monday that would have added 1.6 million new voters to the state’s rolls and made New Jersey the third state in the country to adopt automatic voter registration.

After sitting on the “Democracy Act” for almost five months, the governor and Republican presidential candidate vetoed his second voting rights-related bill in three years, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Christie has previously said that he does not support making it easier for residents of his state to vote.

“In New Jersey, we have early voting that are available to people,” he said in June. “I don’t want to expand it and increase the opportunities for fraud.”

Greenberg Poll: Democrats need a reform agenda to go with popular economic policies

November 9, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post reports on Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg’s new poll today which shows that the so-called “Rising American Electorate,” the Obama coalition, is less “tuned in” to the 2016 election than the angry old white conservatives who listen to hate talk radio and FAUX News demographic a year out from Election Day:

A new poll by veteran Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg . . . illustrates the challenge that Democrats face.

The new poll, which was commissioned by Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund and conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, shows that members of the Rising American Electorate — minorities, millennials, and single women — are significantly less tuned in to next year’s election than GOP-aligned voter groups are. [This is a hangover from the midterm election Democratic voter drop-off problem.]

The poll has some good news for Democrats. The survey, which was taken in four key battleground states — Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin — suggests that in those states, the demographics do favor Dems. That’s because the poll finds that RAE voter groups — who helped drive Obama’s wins — now make up a “majority or near majority of the vote” in all those states. The poll also finds Dems leading in Senate races in two of those states and tied in two others.

State court adopts new congressional districts in Florida

October 11, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Back in July, the Florida Supreme Court struck down eight congressional districts in Florida gerrymandered to benefit Tea-Publicans. State Supreme Court strikes down congressional districts.

The Florida legislature convened a special session over the summer that failed to produce new district maps by the court imposed September deadline.

The Florida legislature failed again on Friday when a state judge rejected maps drafted by the Republican Legislature and approved one drawn by the challengers in the lawsuit — a coalition of voter-rights groups and Democratic-leaning individuals. Judge Picks Voting Map in Florida:

The new 27-district map could likely flip a few House seats from Republican to Democrat, and vice versa, in the 2016 election, including one held by Representative Daniel Webster, a conservative Republican from Orlando now vying to become the next speaker of the House. But however much it changes the political balance of power, supporters of the lawsuit say the ruling is a step toward fairer districts, rather than those created out of political calculation.

Judge Terry P. Lewis of Florida’s Second Circuit Court, who has handled the case from the beginning, will now send his recommendation back to the State Supreme Court for a final decision.

Governor Brown signs universal (automatic) voter registration bill

October 12, 2015October 11, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

The state of California will join the state of Oregon in implementing universal (automatic) voter registration. It’s time for voter advocacy groups in Arizona to file a bill in the legislature and to file a ballot measure for universal voter registration in Arizona.

The San Jose Mercury News reports, Gov. Jerry Brown signs ‘motor voter’ law, voter registration through the DMV:

Legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed Saturday requires California drivers who are eligible to vote to be signed up automatically when they get a new license — a dramatic expansion of voting rights that could grow the state’s voter rolls by millions of people.

When Assembly Bill1461 takes effect in January, California will become the second state in the nation to adopt an automatic voter registration system at a time when many states are restricting their citizens’ right to vote. Oregon enacted a similar law earlier this year.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla first promised to expand access to the polls last year as a candidate on the campaign trail.

He sponsored the legislation and applauded Brown for taking swift action to help the 6.6 million Californians who are eligible but not yet registered to vote, noting that citizens need not “opt-in” to other fundamental rights such as free speech or due process.

“In a free society, the right to vote is fundamental,” Padilla said. “The New Motor Voter Act will make our democracy stronger by removing a key barrier to voting for millions of California citizens.”