Posted on 12/15/2010 9:31:36 PM PST by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court allowed California on Wednesday to go ahead with a voter-approved overhaul of primary elections, putting all candidates on the same ballot in the first round and matching the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, in the runoff.
The justices unanimously denied a request to block the measure, Proposition 14, which takes effect in January.
Prop. 14, which passed with a 54 percent majority in June, eliminates party primaries and instead requires all state and federal candidates, except those for president, to run in a single primary for each office. The top two finishers, who could both be from the same party, compete in the general election.
A lawsuit challenging the initiative was filed by people unaffiliated with the major parties. They included prospective candidates from Socialist Action, the Reform Party and the Coffee Party, a recently formed nonpartisan alternative to the Tea Party.
The plaintiffs challenged only two of Prop. 14's provisions but sought to halt enforcement until both were removed.
One requires election officials to discard write-in votes in the runoff elections and count only votes for the two listed candidates.
The other allows candidates in the primary to state their party affiliations on the ballot only if they belong to a party that the state officially recognizes - currently, the Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, American Independent and Peace and Freedom parties. Other candidates would be listed as having no party preference.
Without further court action, the new system will be used in special elections next year and in the 2012 general elections. The Green Party, however, plans a separate suit challenging the elimination of party primaries, a change that is likely to exclude third-party candidates from the runoff ballot in virtually all elections.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Does any of this matter in California? (shrug)
So let me see if I got this straight ...
All candidates run in a single primary, the top 2 vote getters [regardless of party] run in the general election, write-ins in the general election are excluded ...
This has GOT to be unconstitutional ...
This has GOT to be unconstitutional ...
I can understand the disenfranchisement in the second instance, but am curious about what you believe to be the grounds for the first.
Just goes to show how stupid CA voters are. This is a frickin disaster, how can you possibly have two demwits or Republicans running for the same office?
I can see everyone running in one primary - that wasn't my issue. But, just becuz you ain't one of the top two - you can't mount your own third-party campaign ???
You have a point.
My guess? We'll see the Southern Cal Dems running against the Northern Cal Dems (e.g. Newsom vs. Villaraigosa) in the runoffs.
Duf Sundheim said he wanted a "purple party." Thanks to him, Arnie, Abel, and others, it's more likely gonna be blue for quite a while.
some other state does this.
Louisiana?
I expect that as well. This measure was all about eliminating Republicans from the General election cycle.
Maybe a single primary with the top two facing each other in the general - BUT, you EVER hear that ANY state SPECIFICALLY prohibits ANYONE who wants to run as a third-party in th general ???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.