Free Republic

No, this isn't a cheap shot based on breakfast cereal, about folks in California being ''fruits and nuts.'' Instead, it is a discussion of the mechanics of the recall election in that state. The media hasn't picked up this story yet, but process of any election has an impact on its results. This is especially true for this election there. Policy wonks in Ph.D. programs, which I was until a few years ago, study such things as the effect of ballot placement on the number of votes received. It has been solidly established that if names are listed in alphabetical...

Court strikes staggering blow to free speech TACOMA—In a stunning blow to teachers and other union workers, Washington’s Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the state law prohibiting unauthorized use of non-member union fees for politics is unconstitutional. The case was on appeal after the Washington Education Association (WEA) was sued by the state Attorney General (AG) and found guilty in July 2001 of willfully violating RCW 42.17.760, which prohibits the union from using fees taken from non-member teachers to advance political causes without permission from those teachers. The WEA was ordered to pay $570,000 dollars in fines and penalties...

reported 15:38 bloomberg news

<p>MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) --Unless Alabama's election law is changed, there could be one notable candidate missing from the state's 2004 presidential election ballot -- President Bush.</p> <p>The problem is that the Republican National Convention is being held later than usual to avoid conflict with the Olympics, and the GOP won't choose a candidate until September 2 -- two days after Alabama's August 31 deadline to certify presidential contenders.</p>

Some More Equal Than Others On Thursday, the Federal Elections Commission extended an additional six-year exemption to the Socialist Workers Party which allows them to keep the names of their donors secret. The commies are the only political party in the country that continue to enjoy being able to play politics under this different set of rules from everybody else

Montenegro Drops Law After Elections Fail Associated Press PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro - Reeling from two failed elections, Montenegro lawmakers Thursday discarded a 50 percent voter turnout requirement that had invalidated earlier balloting. The last two presidential elections were discounted in accord with Montenegro law because less that half the registered voters went to the polls. The amended law does not set a minimum turnout. Montenegro's former prime minister Filip Vujanovic won an overwhelming majority of votes in his first bid for presidency, in December, as well as in the second vote Feb. 9. But both times, turnout fell below the required...

Former state House member charged 2003-02-22 By Chris Casteel The Oklahoman WASHINGTON -- Former Oklahoma House member Walt Roberts was charged in U.S. District Court in alleged schemes to funnel $175,000 in illegal contributions into his 1998 campaign for Congress. Two conspiracy charges were filed against Roberts -- a felony count of obstructing the Federal Election Commission's investigation into his campaign financing and a misdemeanor count of conspiring to violate federal election laws. The charges come after a federal investigation that also focused on the role of state Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, in Roberts' campaign. Stipe helped manage the campaign...

The commercial press (newspapers, etc.) in the United States are exempt from the election laws that every other US citizen or group of citizens are restricted by. It doesn't get any more absurd than this! Especially when one understands that there are over 170 foreign owned newspapers operating in this country. Yes, it is true! Under 2 USC 431 (9) (b) (i) the commercial press, which includes foreign owned newspapers, are unrestricted and exempt from election laws that you and I (as citizens of the US) are restricted by. I repeat, Foreign owned newspapers in the US have more rights...

The New Jersey supreme court, disregarding utterly the rule of law, has chosen to circumvent the state legislature and interpret a provision of New Jersey law to mean the opposite of what the law expressly says. Nothing could be clearer than the procedures duly enacted by New Jersey's lawmakers "in the event of a vacancy, howsoever caused, among candidates nominated at primaries." Those procedures apply only when the "vacancy shall occur not later than the 51st day before the general election." Ignoring that crystalline text, the seven supreme-court justices declared, in effect, "We will write the law as we...

Cayetano wants vote for Mink’s seat on Nov. 5 He hopes to avoid paying $2 million for a special election Mink's body to lie in state tonight By Richard Borreca and Craig T. Gima rborreca@starbulletin.com cgima@starbulletin.com In an effort to save the estimated $2 million needed for a special election to fill out Rep. Patsy Mink's term, Gov. Ben Cayetano is asking Attorney General Earl Anzai to seek the state Supreme Court's approval to allow the election to be held the same time as the Nov. 5 general election. However, Cayetano said this morning that it would be difficult to...

The state of New Jersy has issued new rules regarding games of chance for the state of New Jersey. These rules are effective immediately. Horse/Dog Tracks Patrons may now change their bets DURING the race. Until some time as race results are deemed official, patrons may change wager amounts and selections while the race is in progress and until two minutes after announcement of un-official results. New Jersey State Lottery Patrons may change selected numbers DURING the drawing, as long as the drawing is not completed. Since the drawing is broadcast on live television, until the draw and spokesman announcement...

Pakistan's Supreme Court has upheld a new law which bans people without university degrees from contesting elections. Opponents of the decree, issued along with a raft of other changes in June, say it bars 99% of the population from standing in elections to parliament and provincial assemblies. But Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed dismissed the opposition parties' petition on Thursday, saying he and four colleagues had reached a unanimous decision. The announcement came a day after President Musharraf's government declared 10 October as the date for legislative and provincial elections. General Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup on 12...