Florida voting debacle: the sequel?

“MIAMI -- Despite a $32 million renovation, Florida's new
election system crashed in an embarrassment that, like the 2000 election, left
voters wondering whether their votes counted, candidates pondering recounts and
everyone asking who's to blame...� “’It’s not just Florida. It’s a national
problem,� said Rob Richie, executive director of the Maryland-based Center for
Voting and Democracy. “We will have lots of problems in the next two months.’�
“Finger-pointing in Florida, talk of recount and worries about November,� Star
Tribune, September 12, 2002.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/3226410.html

Moe campaign betting on being First Past The Post

“Moe’s brand of politics is getting repositioned,� Doug
Grow, Star Tribune, August 25, 2002.

Foregoing flash and Forciea, the Moe campaign will return
to “old-school politics,� says new campaign manager Bill Harper. “The beauty is,
all we have to do is win over the Democrats. In this [multiple-candidate] race,
we don’t have to win 51 percent of the vote.� Translation: Since a winner will
likely be determined by less than a majority of the voters, the campaign will
adopt a strategy of turning out its core constituency and not bother with a
broad appeal. There’s black and white evidence of how the voting system affects
the campaign.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/3186259.html

Pawlenty on Instant Runoff Voting: “I kind of like it.�

“Hour 1: Gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty,� Midday with
Gary Eichten, Minnesota Public Radio, August 15, 2002.

Tim Pawlenty said he is concerned about the lack of
majority winners in a multiparty environment and thinks Minnesota should
consider runoff elections. When a caller asked him what he thought about Instant
Runoff Voting he said, “I want to think about it some more, but I kind of like
it.� You can listen to the webcast at

http://news.mpr.org/programs/midday/listings/md20020812.shtml

Pentel calls for IRV and proportional representation as part of “democracy
package�

“Hour 1: Gubernatorial candidate Ken Pentel,� Midday with
Gary Eichten, Minnesota Public Radio, August 12, 2002. You can listen to the
webcast at

http://news.mpr.org/programs/midday/listings/md20020812.shtml

Steven Hill slams “fixed� elections on WCCO Radio

WCCO Radio’s “Midday Live� with Kim Jeffries, August 9,
2002. Steven Hill, western regional director of the Center for Voting and
Democracy (http://www.fairvote.org),
was invited on the air to discuss the theme of his new book, Fixing
elections: The failure of America’s Winner-Take-All politics (http://www.FixingElections.org).
Hill’s theme in the interview: Our elections are FIXED, rigged -- from
redistricting to how campaigns are conducted in a WTA system using polling and
focus groups to slice and dice the electorate, voters are being cut right out of
the political process.

Independence Party could change politics in the state

“IP could force significant changes,� Lenora Chu, The
Post-Bulletin of Rochester, August 6, 2002.

Rochester has traditionally been moderate Republican
territory. It was also the area represented by Tim Penny when he was in
Congress. Former Republican Sheila Kiscaden is running for reelection to her
Rochester senate seat on the Independence Party ticket. Penny left the
Democratic Party to run as the Independence Party’s gubernatorial candidate.
Post-Bulletin reporter Lenora Chu examines the implications.

 While there is uncertainty over how the Independence Party
will affect the outcome of the election, “(w)hat will certainly result from the
presence of IP candidates is a refocusing of the issues during the campaign
season, analysts say. ‘There will be more talk about campaign finance, lobbying
and what you could call political reform of the process,’� said Carleton
political science professor Steven Schier.

 “Analysts also expect the IP's momentum to boost voter
interest and turnout at the polls in November. Tony Solgard, chairman of
FairVote Minnesota, a nonprofit group that advocates alternative voting systems,
pointed to the 1998 general election as evidence. Turnout across the country
reached record lows that year. ‘But in Minnesota, it was exactly the opposite,’
Solgard said. ‘We had close to a record high turnout, and pretty much all
observers of politics would attribute that to (the presence of) three viable
candidates. Voters like having a lot of choices.’�

 Considering post-election scenarios, “[i]f either party
takes control of a chamber by a comfortable margin, IP legislators will hold
less sway. But if the two traditional parties are evenly divided or win
majorities by only a small number of seats, IP legislators will be courted
vigorously by both sides.�

 “‘Say it’s a 67 to 65
(margin) in the House with two Independence legislators,’ [said lobbyist Wy
Spano]. ‘Then all of a sudden you have one caucus and the other coming to (the
IP legislators) and saying 'if you vote for our person for speaker, we'll give
you this, this and this.’�

http://domweb.postbulletin.com/PBCWeb/PBCArticles.nsf/articlelookup/114950
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