"Prop. 54 to Stay on the Ballot" This Sacramento Bee article concerns a state lawsuit brought by MALDEF over the inclusion of the racial privacy initiative on the recall ballot. The article also includes a significant fact related to the federal cases brought claiming that the recall (and the initiative) cannot go forward without section 5 preclearance under the Voting Rights Act. The article reports:

In papers opposing the restraining orders that were filed late Thursday, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said the Justice Department's approval was expected "well before" the election.

John Mott-Smith, the chief of California's Elections Division, sent a request, dated Aug. 4, for clearance to hold an election on a day other than those specified in the state Elections Code. He asserted that procedures for the election would follow long-standing state law.

My understanding is that the Justice Department has procedures to expedite the section 5 preclearance process.

"Incumbent Protection Racket" The Wall Street Journal offers this editorial on redistricting. Thanks to Steven Sholk for the pointer.

Will Davis sue over being excluded from candidate debates? Here is the California Association of Broadcaster's proposal (link via Dan Weintraub). Third party candidates have been suing unsuccessfully to get into debates, even ones sponsored by public broadcasters. Would Davis have a better chance if he tried to get into the debate? Not that he necessarily would want to....

Socialist Workers' Party Victory Before the FEC The Militant offers this report. Thanks to a reader for passing it along.

Will it be confusing to have 135 candidates on the ballot? Tony Quinn sends along his thoughts via e-mail:

In 1969, in a special election, Los Angeles County had an election with 133 candidates. It was for the newly created Community College District. The voters were told to choose seven of the 133 candidates. It went off without a hitch. The leading vote getter of the seven winners was one Edmund G. Brown Jr. and this was the start of his political career. The other winners included three future members of the Assembly. No wackos or porn stars were elected.

So much for the argument that voters cannot figure out a long ballot.

Thanks for writing!

-- 
Rick Hasen
Professor of Law and William M. Rains Fellow
Loyola Law School
919 South Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA  90015-1211
(213)736-1466
(213)380-3769 - fax
rick.hasen@lls.edu
http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html
http://electionlaw.blogspot.com