RandySF
RandySF's JournalFor the first time in my memory
an entire Olympic team participated in a partisan campaign stunt during an official meeting of the United States government.
Kansas Court of Appeals examines arguments on constitutionality of state ban on 'fusion voting'
TOPEKA — Members of a three-judge Kansas Court of Appeals panel on Tuesday pushed a United Kansas Party attorney to explain why they didn’t take their fight to the Legislature regarding a state law banning multi-party nominations of the same candidate.
Saline County District Judge Jared Johnson last year tossed United Kansas Party’s lawsuit seeking to allow “fusion voting” by deciding the state made a strong argument that nomination of a candidate by more than one party in the same election cycle could undermine competition while elevating voter confusion and weakening voter confidence in elections.
United Kansas Party appealed its First Amendment case to the state Court of Appeals by arguing the case should be sent back to district court for reconsideration under standards more favorable to the idea of striking down the law.
Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Hill, the longest-serving judge in state history with more than 45 years on the bench, broached the jurisdictional issue soon after plaintiffs attorney Ori Lev began a presentation on how the state’s 1901 prohibition on fusion voting violated the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights and handicapped third parties by tipping elections in favor of dominant political parties.
https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/24/kansas-court-of-appeals-examines-arguments-on-constitutionality-of-state-ban-on-fusion-voting/
Arizona man sues former Apache county attorney over election intimidation
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A former candidate for schools superintendent in Apache County is suing the former county attorney and two others who he says intimidated him to drop out of the race.
Fernando ‘Fernie’ Madrid was running against Joy Whiting, the wife of then-County Attorney Michael Whiting.
The lawsuit is set to be filed on Tuesday at the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix by the non-profit Institute for Justice. Whiting is being sued along with Daryl Greer and Trent Jensen, who once worked at the county attorney’s office, and the lawsuit describes them as “henchmen” used to intimidate Madrid to drop out of the race in 2024.
In the lawsuit, attorneys claim Michael Whiting used two of his employees to surveil and photograph Madrid and his home. They also claim that the men threw rocks at Madrid’s home and assaulted him while he was collecting signatures to be on the ballot.
https://www.azfamily.com/2026/02/24/arizona-man-sues-former-apache-county-attorney-over-election-intimidation/
Absentee voting begins Tuesday for April 7 election in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Absentee voting with an excuse begins Tuesday at the Kansas City Election Board (KCEB) for the April 7 election.
Voters without an excuse will be able to vote at KCEB and additional locations starting March 24.
During absentee voting, Ballot Marking Devices, which produce a paper ballot after being voted on, will be utilized for voting. Those who wish to vote on a pre-printed paper ballot must do so at their assigned polling location on Election Day.
One week before the election, KCEB said voters will be mailed a notification card detailing their polling information. Voters can also confirm their information at kceb.org.
https://fox4kc.com/politics/your-local-election-headquarters/absentee-voting-begins-tuesday-for-april-7-election-in-kansas-city/
Arizona GOP push to standardize state election dates
Republican state lawmakers are making yet another try to tell Tucson — and all the state’s charter cities — when to hold their elections.
On a party-line vote on Feb. 20, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Elections approved a measure to require all cities, towns and school districts to hold elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and only in even-numbered years.
SCR 1027, which now awaits a vote of the full Senate, is not the first effort by GOP lawmakers to override local election timelines. In fact, several attempts have already been slapped down by the Arizona Supreme Court.
In the most recent ruling in 2021, Justice Ann Scott Timmer, writing for the majority, said the Arizona Constitution clearly gives cities that have adopted their own charters “autonomy over matters of purely municipal concern,” ultimately concluding that cities have the legal authority to run local elections.
https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2026/02/24/arizona-gop-push-to-standardize-state-election-dates/
How this 'red' county picked up election wins with a little 'blue' research help
State and national elections get a lot of negative attention, but at least voters have a better chance of knowing what the Democratic and Republican candidates stand for — unlike the spring nonpartisan races where you have to do some homework on candidates to vote your values. But that might change as group in Waukesha County shows the value of having that research.
Kristin Hansen told UpNorthNews she started Blue Sky Waukesha County after years of frustration over not knowing much about the candidates for school boards, county boards, and municipal governments like city councils, village boards, and town boards.
“I spent a lot of time digging around,” Hansen said, “reading these people’s websites, reading interviews, doing some research on them. So I started just telling people: ‘Here’s who I’m going to vote for. Here’s why.’ And in 2019, I thought this could be a community service.”
Hansen’s work caught on, and now she says a team of volunteers will sift through information on dozens of local candidates in order to make recommendations to blue-ish voters in an area not necessarily known as a hotbed of progressive politics.
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2026/02/24/how-this-red-county-picked-up-election-wins-with-a-little-blue-research-help/
How this 'red' county picked up election wins with a little 'blue' research help
State and national elections get a lot of negative attention, but at least voters have a better chance of knowing what the Democratic and Republican candidates stand for — unlike the spring nonpartisan races where you have to do some homework on candidates to vote your values. But that might change as group in Waukesha County shows the value of having that research.
Kristin Hansen told UpNorthNews she started Blue Sky Waukesha County after years of frustration over not knowing much about the candidates for school boards, county boards, and municipal governments like city councils, village boards, and town boards.
“I spent a lot of time digging around,” Hansen said, “reading these people’s websites, reading interviews, doing some research on them. So I started just telling people: ‘Here’s who I’m going to vote for. Here’s why.’ And in 2019, I thought this could be a community service.”
Hansen’s work caught on, and now she says a team of volunteers will sift through information on dozens of local candidates in order to make recommendations to blue-ish voters in an area not necessarily known as a hotbed of progressive politics.
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2026/02/24/how-this-red-county-picked-up-election-wins-with-a-little-blue-research-help/
PA-01: Democratic committees endorse Harvie; other hopefuls blast process
The Democratic horses are continuing to line up behind Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie in his attempt to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District.
On Saturday, Harvie scored the endorsement of the Bucks County Democratic Committee (BCDC). That comes on the heels of the endorsement last week from the Montgomery County Democratic Committee, and adds to an endorsement list that already includes Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis; U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4; U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17; and Bucks County Democratic Committee chair Steve Santarsiero.
“I’m ready to fight for the issues that matter most to our neighbors. We must fight for a healthcare system that puts people over profits, we must invest in affordable childcare, and we must focus on an economy that strengthens the working class, not the billionaires that are getting tax breaks they don’t need,” said Harvie in a press release from his campaign. “We’ve made historic gains together as Democrats winning school board seats, supervisor races, and countywide elected positions. We’ve got one more seat to go and together we can win this damn seat.”
But not all the local Democrats are happy with this endorsement, specifically because it has appeared from the get-go that BCDC had already decided that Harvie was going to get its backing before the primary process was completed.
https://www.buckscountyherald.com/news/election/democratic-committees-endorse-harvie-for-pa-01-other-hopefuls-blast-process/article_9b826c35-4eab-4cdf-b1d1-8305850417b6.html
MA-SEN: PROGRESSIVE MASS ENDORSES MARKEY IN RE-ELECTION BID
Advocacy group Progressive Mass has endorsed Senator Ed Markey for re-election, calling him “one of the nation’s most consistent and effective progressive leaders.”
Progressive Mass is a statewide grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to advancing progressive public policy, strengthening democracy, and building power for working people across Massachusetts.
“Ed Markey has been a stalwart champion for workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ rights, bold climate action, and so much more,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Mass. “He is not only fighting every day in DC against the chaos, cruelty, and corruption of the Trump administration, but also continuing to introduce and endorse the big ideas necessary to make a more equitable, just, democratic, and sustainable Commonwealth and country.”
The endorsement comes after Progressive Mass’ annual meeting last month, where all candidates participated in a forum to present their platforms and answer questions directly from members.
https://thelocalnews.news/2026/02/24/progressive-mass-endorses-markey-in-re-election-bid/
Recent midterm election years featured more open state legislative seats than presidential years
According to Ballotpedia’s annual competitiveness analyses, midterm election years like 2026 tend to feature more open state legislative seats than presidential election years.
Voters across 46 states will choose who will represent them in 6,155 state legislative districts this November. On March 3, 2026, three states—Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas—will hold the first primary elections for those races.
Since 2010, Ballotpedia has assigned each state a score every year based on three factors indicative of choice on the ballot:
- Open seats: The percentage of seats guaranteed to be won by a newcomer.
- Incumbents in contested primaries: The percentage of seats where voters could choose a newcomer over an incumbent.
- Seats with major party competition: The percentage of seats where voters could choose between a candidate from both major parties.
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/02/24/recent-midterm-election-years-featured-more-open-state-legislative-seats-than-presidential-years/
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