[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

California voter registration has increased to 16.1 million according to information released by Secretary of State Debra Bowen late yesterday afternoon. This is an increase of more than one million voters since the close of voter registration before the statewide primary four years ago. The percentage of eligible voters who are registered to vote also has increased from 68.95% in 2004 to 70% now.

The report includes data gathered 15 days before the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election and reflects updates to voter registration rolls, including the removal of registrants who have passed away, moved out of state, or have been determined to be ineligible to vote, as well as the addition of new registrants.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Kim Alexander
President and Founder
California Voter Foundation

With another statewide election just around the corner, the California Voter Foundation (CVF) today released its new California Online Voter Guide, providing nonpartisan information on state candidates and measures.

Since 1994, CVF has produced the online guides to help Californians prepare to cast an informed ballot. The guide is now in its sixteenth edition.

This year, California’s primary election was split, resulting in three statewide elections in 2008. The Presidential primary was held in February. On June 3rd, legislative and congressional primaries will determine which candidates face off in the November General election.

The races are highly competitive in a number of districts, with contested primaries in 21 of the state’s 53 congressional districts, 8 of the 20 State Senate districts, and 28 of the 80 Assembly districts.

by DFA Staff [courtesy of Blog for America]

The Dallas Morning News has some handy information on how Democrats in Texas allocate and appoint delegates:

Texas Democrats allocate their convention delegates in two ways:

126 are determined by the popular vote in Tuesday’s primary in state Senate districts. Hillary Rodham Clinton won 65 delegates and Barack Obama got 61.

67 are determined later by conventions.

On Tuesday: The late-night precinct conventions determined representatives to go to county conventions.

March 29: The county conventions, where delegates will be elected for state conventions.

June 5-7: Democratic state convention, where delegates will be elected for the national convention. Those are the delegates who will cast ballots for Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama at the national gathering in Denver.

Check out the full article for the whole rundown.

Danny
Communications Director

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

As the 1980’s began, Democrats controlled both houses of the legislature and, with their sitting Governor, Jerry Brown providing a signature, and his Court ratifying that judgment, the entire government of California.

As a result, redistricting in 1981 was strictly a Democratic affair. In the State Senate, districts were modified to take care of population changes, but otherwise incumbents kept what they had. It satisfied the Democrats – and the Republicans.

In the Assembly, then new Speaker Willie Brown was struggling to increase the 50% support he held among the Democrats while holding on to the Republican votes that had elected him the previous November. But Assembly redistricting proved difficult. The seats short of population were in Democratic areas (Bay Area, Los Angeles). Brown thought to resolve it by dropping a Republican seat in the Bay Area and a Democratic seat in LA. Republicans, believing a ‘fair’ redistricting would give them net gains, revolted. They withdrew their support for Brown. But Brown survived because the dissident Democrats closed ranks behind him.

Redistricting made Brown a Democratic Speaker in fact.