Presidential challengers hoping to glide to victory through California’s newly relevant primary, a heads-up: Your electoral fate may hinge on convincing enough left-leaning millennials to send postcards over the holiday season. Welcome to the quirk-filled world of California election law. Here, voters without a registered political party can participate in the Democratic...
With $66,000 in Fines Looming, Can Payne Fix Campaign Finance Mess?
A community college trustee has one more chance to settle his problems with the Fair Political Practices Commission. Otherwise, he could face $66,000 in fines. The state agency in charge of campaign finance compliance says Eric Payne, a two-term trustee with the State Center Community College District, violated 21 state laws...
Did Ballot Harvesting Cause Blue Wave? Revisiting the Debate.
TJ Cox was down by more than 4,000 votes as returns were counted the night of the Nov. 6 election. As it stands now, he will be elected to Congress in the 21st district by nearly 600 votes. That drastic turnaround in Cox’s and other California races is one of the...
Trustee On Hot Seat: Campaign Violation Allegations Revealed
A state investigation has found probable cause against community college trustee Eric Payne on 21 counts of alleged political wrongdoing. The Fair Political Practices Commission investigated Payne following a 2016 complaint that he failed to file campaign documents. The findings will likely lead to further investigation with subpoena power. The...
Letter Perfect: Why P is for Parks and Z is for Zoos
Is it a coincidence when a local ballot measure is assigned the perfect letter to entice voter support? In Tulare County, that may be the case. There, voters will be asked to form the Yettem-Seville Community Services District. The ballot designation? Measure Y. The Yettem-Seville measure is asking voters to...
Fresno Parks Tax All But Assured To Be on November Ballot
UPDATE: 12:40 p.m., Tuesday, July 24: This story has been updated to include why the Fresno for Parks sales-tax proposal is not on the Fresno City Council agenda for this week. A measure to raise the sales tax to boost Fresno parks is all but assured to be on the November ballot....
In Tight Council Race, What Happens If There's a Tie?
It’s a crazy scenario, but in an election as close as Fresno City Council District 3, it may just happen. What if two or more candidates tie in a primary? Who advances to the general election? With only 14 votes separating three candidates for second place for the council seat,...