Search Results for: Anthony Balady

California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission: Do it Yourself Gerrymandering!

Election Law Society · March 8, 2010 ·

For too long, the joys of disenfranchising minorities and gerrymandering a district into irrelevancy have been selfishly hoarded by state legislatures. But in California, a group of 14 ordinary citizens will get the opportunity to draw the lines themselves, as members of California’s first Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission was created as a result of California’s citizen initiative process. California Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization for “open and accountable government”, proposed an amendment to the California Constitution that would take the task of redistricting out of the hands of the legislature and put it directly in the hands of the people. That proposed amendment became Proposition 11, also known as the Voter First Initiative, and was voted on by the people of California in the 2008 general election. Despite receiving support from a number of prominent figures, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Bloomberg, Prop 11 barely passed, receiving less than 51% of the vote. [Read more…] about California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission: Do it Yourself Gerrymandering!

The Bizarre History of Election Law: The Camden Election Riots of 1870

Election Law Society · February 8, 2010 ·

Election law has certainly earned its eccentric reputation. From zombie voters to hanging chads, the strange history of modern election law has become ingrained in the public consciousness. But, as odd as the last decade has been, the previous centuries of election law have been even more bizarre. So, in this series of articles, State of Elections will take a closer look at some of the stranger moments in election law.

In the previous “bizarre history” article, we discussed the various (and often hilarious) irregularities of Siskiyou County’s school superintendent election. Today, we are going to take a more solemn look at one of the strangest and most brutal attempts to disenfranchise black voters in American history.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Camden County New Jersey was a hotbed of racial strife. The black population of the county grew dramatically, as former slaves left their plantations and moved up North. As the black population grew, so did the anger of certain elements within the white community. This tension between the whites and blacks in Camden County came to a head during the 1870 Congressional election. For many of the newly freed slaves, it would be their first time voting. In Centreville, a small town in Camden County, whites feared that this sudden influx of freed slaves would have an irrevocable impact on local politics. So, they formed a mob and marched down to the polls to stop blacks from voting, anyway they could. [Read more…] about The Bizarre History of Election Law: The Camden Election Riots of 1870

Congressional Vacancies, Election Certification, and American Idol

Election Law Society · January 21, 2010 ·

Scott Brown, that American Idol fathering, sexiest man winning, pickup truck driving politician has won a decisive victory in Massachusetts. But even before polls opened, there was a budding controversy over exactly when the election results would be certified and the winner seated. Several media outlets are reporting that Democrats may attempt to delay Brown’s swearing in, in an effort to push health care reform through before Brown can take his seat. Instead of providing yet another analysis of the current situation in Massachusetts, State of Elections is going to examine the existing law and customs governing special elections, and take a look at some previous controversies surrounding the certification of special elections. [Read more…] about Congressional Vacancies, Election Certification, and American Idol

State of Elections Welcomes First Editor in Chief

Election Law Society · January 20, 2010 ·

State of Elections and the Election Law Society of William & Mary are thrilled to announce it’s first Editor-in-Chief, Anthony Balady. A first year law student born and raised in New Jersey, Anthony has a degree in political science with a minor in writing and rhetoric from James Madison University. While we have a team of great editors on our blog, Anthony has emerged as a leader who will roll up his sleeves and leaves draft blog posts bleeding with red ink.

Reaction to this historic move for our blog was widely positive. When reached for comment, President Obama said it was “the best news we’ve had all week.”

Aware of Mr. Balady’s brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, Senator-elect Brown (R-MA) issued a statement nominating Anthony for Cosmo’s 2010 “America’s Sexiest Man.” It’s worth noting that when Cosmo comes calling, both men will have won the award while in law school, but only one will have had the privilege of leading the best student-run election law blog in the country.

For our readers wondering what type of political background Anthony has, we asked him a few basic questions. His first political memory? Clinton’s Lewinsky scandal. The first campaign that got him into politics? McCain in 2000: “That was the first time I realized that politics wasn’t just an entertaining sideshow, it had a real impact on real people,” the new chief said. Though he was quick to point out that McCain 2008 didn’t inspire the same feelings. In 2008, Anthony was pulling for Stephen Colbert. Seems like all of his candidates run into trouble in South Carolina.

Please join our blog family and the national, bi-partisan enthusiasm and welcome Anthony with an email at editor@stateofelections.com.

www.writemypaper4me.org/

Ye Olde Election Law: The Bizarre History of Election Law

Election Law Society · January 11, 2010 ·

One such moment happened in California’s Siskiyou County. In 1895, Clarence Smith was elected school superintendent of that county by a single vote. His opponent, George Tebbe, contested the result. When the ballots were recounted, the court found three additional votes for Tebbe, and declared Tebbe the new winner by two votes. However, until the ballots could be counted in open court, they had been stored under the desk in the county clerk’s office. This sounds all well and good, except that Tebbe was deputy clerk at that office, and worked in the same room where the ballots were stored. Imagine Tebbe, sitting just a few short feet from the ballots, the ballots that would decide his political future. Even if there was no actual vote tampering, surely even the appearance of impropriety would warrant a stern rebuke from the court. Of course, no such rebuke was forthcoming. Instead, the court praised the “prudence of the clerk and the fair dealing of all concerned”, and required that Smith prove that ballot tampering took place before taking any action.