Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Full Speed Ahead?

Graphic Courtesy of California Majority Report
The Game is AFOOT.

With funding from the California Republican Party, donors from most of the GOP Presidential candidates, donors for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Congressman Darrel Issa (who front-funded the successful Gray Davis recall) and signatures, California voters may YET decide on a proportional method of allocating California’s 55 Electoral College votes for President – the most in the country.

The Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee have accounts and the details on donors.

Backers of a proposed initiative that would change the way California’s electoral votes are awarded disclosed Tuesday that they had received $538,000 from a list of donors who have contributed to a variety of presidential candidates.

The required disclosure to the California secretary of state helps to dispel the notion that Republican candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani is behind the measure. The initiative received its initial $175,000 from a top Giuliani backer, Wall Street mogul Paul E. Singer.Others involved in the effort also have ties to the former New York City mayor.

But, Flap which initiative will this group attempt to qualify for the June 2008 ballot? There are two:

and

Both initiatives are similar in changing the method of allocation of Electoral College votes from the current “WINNER TAKE ALL” system to a proportional one. But, the deadlines are definitely different for gathering signatures.

Is the new GOP group, headed by Ed Rollins going for the first initiative in a full court press to qualify for the June 2008 ballot? And, if they fail to gather significant signatures within a few weeks go for the second initiative which has a deadline of February 2008?

This seems a likely scenario but Flap will get some clarification later in the day and update this post or post another.

The California Secretary of State’s web site for California Initiatives is here.

Update #1:

Flap is continuing to pursue clarification but looking at the Election California Reform Initiative web site and the California Counts web site it is apparent the California GOP et al. are going for the first initiative.

Calitics, a Lefty site has some direct mail pieces from California Counts here.

Stay tuned…….

Previous:

Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: The Surrogate Campaign

Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Failure to Launch

Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Is it OVER?

Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Bush and Rove Did It

Presidential Electors Initiative Watch: Initiative in Circulation for June 2008

Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Schwarzenegger Cool To Initiative

Electoral Reform California Initiative Watch: Field Poll – 47% Favor vs. 35% Oppose

Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part III – Opposition Forms

Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes Part II

Electoral Reform California Initiative Could Split California Presidential Votes

North Carolina Ready to Change Electoral College Presidential Selection Rules for 2008

Technorati Tags: Electoral Reform California, Electoral College, GOP, Democrats