California Voters Taking More Power Over Election Process

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 14

• Prop. 14 Changes the Political Game (By DAVE ROBERTS, Cal Watchdog) “Had Proposition 14 been in effect last year, [American Independent Party candidate David] Christensen could not have appeared on the general-election ballot, and I likely would have won,” Republican candidate David Harmer told supporters via e-mail last week.

CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING

• Census to bring change to Bay Area political landscape (By Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Mercury News) In 2001, redistricting was a political matter solved largely behind closed doors for the benefit of incumbents. Democrats and Republicans cut a deal with the Bush administration and drew safe districts for both sides. Angry voters subsequently stripped lawmakers of the job and assigned the task to a 14-member redistricting commission comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans plus a few nonpartisans and third-party members.