The Center for Responsive Politics has compiled a list of the top individual donors to 527 committees in the second quarter of 2010. The top three are million-dollar donors to Republican operations; then the list gets more diverse, including donors to the League of Conservation Voters and Democratic Governors Association. Altogether, individuals pumped more than [...]
Online voter registration is working well in Indiana, a state notorious for its fixation on voter fraud. Young people especially benefit and the registrations are far more accurate and easier for election officials to process than paper applications. A study by the Pew Center also shows that online registrants voted at a significantly higher rate [...]
North Carolina voters in at least three counties (Buncombe, Cumberland and Rowan) will use Instant Runoff Voting to decide the winners in three Superior Court races this fall. Under state law (NCGS 163-329), vacancies on the Superior Court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court which occur after the primary but more than 60 days before [...]
The News & Observer had great fun with a “gotcha” story about state elections director Gary Bartlett – and more fun with a follow-up about all the “Democrats and Republicans” who “denounced election officials.” The reporters were quite selective, citing only three denouncers who had quotes that fit their story line; they avoided people like [...]
Former Gov. Mike Easley is likely in more trouble after a landmark ruling from the NC Court of Appeals in a case involving former Rep. Thomas Wright’s diversion of campaign money into his personal bank account. The unanimous decision opens the door for state prosecutors to levy felony charges of obstruction of justice against candidates [...]
Governor Bev Perdue signed the 2010 ethics bill into law on Monday. Media outlets especially praised new provisions that will help them by allowing more access to government meetings and to state personnel records; both provisions are compromises from more far-reaching proposals. The new law has a host of other provisions to increase disclosure of [...]
Twenty year after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the gap in the voter participation rates of people with and without disabilities has finally disappeared, according to new research. The Help American Vote Act also put money and mandates behind making polling places and voting machines accessible. The one-two punch of ADA & [...]
Here’s an idea: Target one company that uses your money to corrupt the election process - boycott them until they change. It seems the ideal target is named Target. According to MoveOn.org, “The Minneapolis-based retailer Target just gave over $150,000 to buy ads supporting state Rep. Tom Emmer, a far-right Republican candidate for governor. This [...]
Contrary to the rightwing mantra against taxes and big government, a new survey shows that Americans say they want better, not smaller government. They want government to solve problems related to energy, poverty, jobs and education, and they want more transparency and a closer evaluation of the effectiveness of spending. A second report by the [...]
In case you missed it, here is a link to Democracy North Carolina’s wrap up of the 2010 General Assembly session.