Daily Brew: September 14, 2018

September 14, 2018

Today's Brew brings you results from yesterday's elections in New York + an internship opportunity   Welcome to the Friday, September 14 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Andrew Cuomo defeats Cynthia Nixon in NY Democratic gubernatorial primary Quiz: What state offers citizens the “right of free petition”, which allows a citizen to propose their own legislation? Let’s be co-workers! Apply to Ballotpedia’s Internship program New Mexico supreme court bars secretary of state from reinstating straight-ticket voting option Cuomo now faces Molinaro New York wrapped up this cycle’s primary season. *Minus Louisiana’s pseudo jungle primary system, of course! Thanks for trusting Ballotpedia throughout this primary season. We will continue providing the same level of comprehensive coverage through the end of the 2018 cycle, and beyond. Gov. Andrew Cuomo beat back a primary challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon, who cast herself as progressive alternative to Cuomo. With 36 percent of precincts reporting, Cuomo had received about 66 percent of the vote. During the campaign, Cuomo highlighted his governing record, including increases in the minimum wage and the legalization of same-sex marriage. He was endorsed by New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, DNC Chairman Tom Perez, and Hillary Clinton. Most polls showed him leading Nixon by 30 to 40 percentage points and he had over $24 million in cash on hand in the days leading up to the primary. Nixon, meanwhile, said Cuomo governed as a fiscal conservative and was responsible for issues with the New York City subway system. She emphasized her plans for a single-payer healthcare system and the legalization of marijuana. She was endorsed by Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, and the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Cuomo will compete for a third term against Republican Marc Molinaro in November. Cuomo was first elected in 2010 by nearly 30 percentage points and won re-election in 2014 by 14 percentage points. Learn more #FridayFact Quiz: What state offers citizens the “right of free petition,” which allows a citizen to propose their own legislation? A.  Maryland → B.  Massachusetts→ C.  Michigan → D.  Minnesota → *Thank you to Bill W. for suggesting this question to me! If you have any Quiz suggestions, email me. It makes my job easier. Let’s be co-workers! Apply to Ballotpedia’s Internship program We are looking for interns for our Spring 2019 program. Pass this along to anyone you know who could be interested. We are looking for both Editorial interns and Communications interns. As an intern, you will go through a similar onboarding experience to full-time Ballotpedia employees. You will learn how to code the Ballotpedia website, be oriented to Ballotpedia’s style guide, learn about all we do to prevent and detect bias in our resources, and much more. Following orientation, you will join either the Editorial or Communications teams, working alongside staff members. Ballotpedia’s Spring 2019 internship program will run from Monday, January 14 through Friday, April 26. Ballotpedia’s Spring internship supports either part-time or full-time hours, depending upon the student’s schedule. The deadline for priority application is Friday, October 12, 2018. Ballotpedia is happy to facilitate credit for your internship experience if that is available to you. If you will be seeking credit for your internship, and if there is anything that Ballotpedia will need to do in order to assist you, please include that information in the same file as your cover letter. Apply here→ New Mexico Supreme Court bars secretary of state from reinstating straight-ticket voting option The New Mexico Supreme Court barred Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) from reinstating a straight-ticket voting option for this year's general election. The court ruled 5-0 on the matter on Wednesday. Oliver announced on August 29 that the state's ballots for the 2018 general election would include a straight-ticket option for the first time since 2012 (when Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran removed the option from ballots). In announcing this decision, Oliver said, "Like absentee voting and early voting, straight-party voting gives New Mexicans another option for casting their ballot. Voters can choose to use straight-party voting, if they decide it will work best for them. They can also choose to fill out the ballot for each individual race. The more options people have, the easier it is for more eligible voters to participate—and participation is the key to our democratic process." On August 30, 2018, opponents including New Mexico's Libertarian and Republican parties filed a suit against Oliver in the state supreme court requesting that the court bar the inclusion of a straight-ticket option on any general election ballots. In their filing, the plaintiffs said, "Virtually all political observers agree that straight ticket voting benefits the Democratic Party in New Mexico – of which the Secretary of State is a member, and for whom she is a current candidate for reelection – and harms independent, minor-party, and Republican candidates. As such, the Secretary’s actions are widely perceived as being motivated by partisan interests." Eight states provide for straight-ticket voting: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas (whose straight-ticket option is set to be eliminated in 2020), and Utah. Learn more→