Subject: Re: [EL] what do people understand this sentence to mean?
From: "Scarberry, Mark" <Mark.Scarberry@pepperdine.edu>
Date: 4/26/2011, 3:09 PM
To: "election-law@mailman.lls.edu" <election-law@mailman.lls.edu>

One definition of “calendar year” is “a period of time equal in length to that of the year in the calendar conventionally in use.” Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. See also http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calendar%2Byear. I think the term likely was used to try to make clear that the period was the 365 day period preceding the November general election, rather than the ten plus months of the current year preceding the election. Thus it probably does not bear the meaning of either of Richard’s alternatives. At least that’s my initial reaction.

 

Mark Scarberry

Pepperdine Univ. School of Law

 

From: election-law-bounces@mailman.lls.edu [mailto:election-law-bounces@mailman.lls.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Winger
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 2:21 PM
To: election-law@mailman.lls.edu
Subject: [EL] what do people understand this sentence to mean?

 

A Florida election law bill, which passed the Florida Senate Budget Committee today, has a sentence that I find ambiguous.  I am curious to see what readers think this means:

"The candidate has not been a registered member of any other political party in the calendar year leading up to the general election."

I don't know if that means 2012, for example, or 2011.  "Leading up to" is a vague expression to my eye.  But if I had to guess, I would guess it only means 2012, and not 2011.