(California) Suit over initiative abolishing party primaries

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(07-29) 16:33 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- California's voter-approved law abolishing party primary elections was hit with its first lawsuit Thursday, a challenge to provisions that discard write-in votes in runoffs and limit candidates' right to list their party preference on the ballot.

Proposition 14, which passed with a 54 percent majority June 8, requires all candidates for state and federal offices except president to run in a single primary for each office. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, then compete in the general election.

The Green Party is planning a suit over the replacement of party primaries with the "top two" system, which is likely to exclude third-party candidates from the runoff ballot in virtually all contested elections. Democratic and Republican leaders, who opposed Prop. 14, are considering separate challenges.

Thursday's suit in San Francisco Superior Court was more limited, targeting two sections of the new law. However, the plaintiffs asked a judge to block enforcement of Prop. 14 until legislation is passed to remove those two provisions.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/29/BA0E1ELS97.DTL

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Damn Skippy they need to get rid of the elect a Republican guaranteed act. n/t

[savalez]

2. Gee thanks Arnold Shchwartzawhatever!

[JDPriestly]

3. It's a horrible proposition.

First time we get a very popular third party candidate, a lot of voters will be sorry it passed. It could hurt Tea Party types a lot.

[davidinalameda]

4. fuck the Green Party