United Kingdom: Scottish independence referendum question rejected by Electoral Commission | STV

The independence referendum question that Scotland will face at the polls in 2014 has been chosen. On Wednesday, the Electoral Commission published its advice on the referendum question proposed by the government, which is: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country? Yes/No”. The electoral watchdog rejected the Scottish Government’s proposed independence referendum question recommending that “more neutral wording” is needed. The watchdog found that the clause “Do you agree” was not suitable for the referendum question as it “potentially encouraged people to vote ‘yes’ and should be replaced by more neutral wording”. It recommended that the question should be altered to: “Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes/No”.

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Electoral Commission finding due | BBC

The election watchdog is delivering its finding on the Scottish government’s independence referendum question. The Electoral Commission has spent the last few months assessing the SNP government’s preferred wording on the ballot paper in autumn 2014. It wants to ask voters the yes/no question: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?” Final approval of the referendum arrangements rests with the Scottish Parliament. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond previously described his government’s question as “short, straightforward and clear”, but critics say the wording is biased. There has been speculation the Electoral Commission may reword the ballot paper, inviting voters to record “I agree” or “I disagree” to a general statement about independence.

Zimbabwe: Polls definitely this year – Tsvangirai | News24

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has added his voice to the possibility of an election being held this year after Zimbabwe’s political parties agreed on a final draft constitution that will be put to a referendum. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Tsvangirai said the constitution had always been a significant step towards a referendum and an election. “What has now happened is that all the issues have been resolved. We believe that we can have this constitution drafted by the drafters next week, and hopefully after that we can set the date for the referendum,” Tsvangirai said.

District of Columbia: Elections board approves budget autonomy referendum | Washington Times

The D.C. Board of Elections on Tuesday rejected arguments from the city’s top lawyer and will let voters decide this spring if they want to divorce the city’s local budget from the spending process on Capitol Hill — a long-sought goal known as “budget autonomy.” The board’s decision came a day after D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan reluctantly implored the board to be “courageous” and to deny a proposed charter referendum from the ballot, even if it would be a politically unpopular stance. He said the measure is legally unsound and could create a backlash from members of Congress.

Maryland: State leaders contemplate changes to referendum process | baltimoresun.com

After petitions sent three Maryland laws to voters this fall — the first such referendums in 20 years — state leaders said Tuesday that the process designed in the era before electronic signatures needs a fresh look. “Our forefathers never imagined everything that we did in Annapolis would be subject to referendum,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said. Opponents of same-sex marriage, the Dream Act that granted in-state tuition to some illegal immigrants and the redrawn congressional boundaries harnessed the petition process, gathering enough signatures to place each law on the November ballot. Voters upheld them all, and the referendum process underwent new public scrutiny.

Tennessee: Sevier County Election Commission admits mistakes | The Mountain Press

The Sevier County Election Commission voted Wednesday to have its attorney acknowledge in court that there were flaws in the voting on the Pigeon Forge Liquor by the Drink referendum, admitting issues that could cause Chancellor Telford Forgety to toss the results of the Nov. 6 election on that issue and call for a revote. The election commission met late Wednesday afternoon, hours ahead of the start of proceedings today where Forgety would review a contest of election filed by the organization that campaigned against the measure. Shortly after the meeting started, the commission voted to approve a motion to “instruct our attorney to stipulate the results of the Pigeon Forge referendum are incurable with no finding of fraud.”

Tennessee: Election official: Improper votes shouldn’t void results | The Mountain Press

In his deposition for the contest of election for the Pigeon Forge liquor by the drink referendum, the chairman of the Sevier County Election Commission indicates he believes the results should not be overturned, even after acknowledging that around 300 votes appear to have been cast improperly. The referendum passed in the Nov. 6 election on a 1,232 to 1,132 tally. Questions arose immediately, however, over whether some ballots were cast by people who should not have been allowed to vote. Election Commission Chairman J.B. Matthews acknowledges in his sworn testimony that it appears election workers allowed improper votes, but maintains he doesn’t believe that should cause the vote to be overturned.

Editorials: Bulgaria makes its choices | The Sofia Globe

There are to be two defining political events in Bulgaria that may be predicted in the coming year – the January 27 referendum on nuclear power and the mid-year national parliamentary elections; as to everything else, as is always the case with politics, that is unpredictable. Albeit at a long remove, the referendum will be a test for the government, after the strange saga of on-again, off-again twists and turns in the question about building the long-planned nuclear power station at Belene.

Egypt: Opposition alleges voter fraud in referendum on constitution | CSMonitor.com

Egypt’s opposition called Sunday for an investigation into allegations of vote fraud in the referendum on a deeply divisive Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent “yes” vote. Official results have not been released yet and are expected on Monday. If the unofficial numbers are confirmed, it will be a victory Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who is from the Brotherhood. But for many Egyptians, especially the tens of millions who live in extreme poverty, the results are unlikely to bring a hoped for end to the turmoil that has roiled their country for nearly two years since the uprising that ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt: Voting Turnout in Referendum 32.9 Percent – Election Commission | allAfrica.com

About 33 percent of all eligible voters cast their vote in Egypt’s constitution referendum, head of the commission overseeing the referendum Judge Samir Abul Maati said on Tuesday. Out of 17,058,317 voters (32.9 percent), 10,693,911 voted “yes” (63.8 percent) is while 6,016,101 voted “no” (36.2 percent). The number of valid votes is 16,755,012 while that of invalid votes is 303,395. The first round of the referendum took place on December 15 in 10 governorates and the second took place on December 22 in 17 governorates.

Egypt: Top election official resigns ahead of vote on Egypt draft constitution | CTV News

One of the top officials in charge of overseeing Egypt’s vote on a contentious Islamist-backed draft constitution resigned Wednesday, citing health problems, a judicial official said, in what critics saw as another blow to the legitimacy of the process. The resignation comes amid allegations of vote irregularities and follows boycotts of the referendum judges and others leaving the voting process with a severe shortage of monitors to oversee it. Secretary General of the Election Committee Zaghloul el-Balshi attributed his resignation to “a sudden health crisis,” according to a copy of a letter he sent to the committee that was published by several Egyptian dailies including the privately owned el-Watan. The official confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Relatives told local Egyptian media that el-Balshi has undergone eye surgery.

Egypt: Election panel refutes violation claims in constitution referendum | NZweek

Egypt’s Supreme Election Commission regarded the claims of fraud and violation in the constitution referendum raised by opposition as baseless and non-objective, Counselor Mahmoud Abou Shoosha, a commission member, told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. Condemning violation and fraud claims as “lies,” Abou Shoosha said that the voting was based on the voters’ national ID number that was impossible to be duplicated and that the referendum was held under full judicial supervision.

Egypt: Opposition alleges referendum rigging as Islamists claim victory | guardian.co.uk

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has claimed victory in the first round of the country’s bitterly divisive constitutional referendum, with opposition forces complaining of large-scale rigging and violations. Unofficial results from Saturday’s first round showed 56% approval to 43% rejection on a low turnout of 33%, with a clear no win in Cairo, one of the 10 governorates where polling took place. The referendum is to be held in the country’s remaining 17 governorates next Saturday – where prospects for a no win are poorer. The figures were reported by the Freedom and Justice party (FJP), the political wing of the Brotherhood, which has been accurate in previous elections.

Egypt: Opposition group urges ‘no’ vote on draft constitution – latimes.com

Egypt’s leading opposition group urged its followers Wednesday to vote against an Islamist-inspired draft constitution, ending weeks of indecision over whether antigovernment forces should boycott the referendum, which begins this weekend and pits secularists against the Muslim Brotherhood. The move by the National Salvation Front is a crucial test of its popularity against President Mohamed Morsi and his Islamist supporters. The opposition movement has revived the country’s revolutionary fervor but has been marred by division and poor organization, which are expected to be exploited by the Brotherhood’s vast grass-roots networks.

Egypt: Electoral Commission: Referendum on 2 Separate Dates | Naharnet

Egypt’s referendum on a controversial draft constitution will now take place on two separate dates, Egyptian state television said on Wednesday. The electoral commission announced that the vote, initially set only for December 15, will take place both on Saturday and a week later on December 22, Nile TV said. The respective rounds of the referendum will be divided into two regions, it said. The TV report came as  Egypt’s official news agency said embassies around the world opened their doors to expatriate voters.

Egypt: Election commission set to oversee referendum on constitution despite judges’ strike | Newser

Mohammed Gaballah said Monday that the commission, which is composed of senior judges, began meeting a day earlier to organize the Dec. 15 referendum. Gaballah claimed that judges will oversee the vote despite a strike by the judiciary to protest a set of decrees issued by President Mohammed Morsi that place him above judicial oversight. According to Egyptian law, judges must observe the voting at polling stations. Morsi’s decrees also gave immunity to the Islamist-led constituent assembly, which hurriedly approved the draft charter last week despite an opposition boycott. The president’s decrees have split the nation, and plunged Egypt into a deepening political crisis.

Egypt: Election commission set to oversee referendum on constitution despite judges’ strike | Star Tribune

The Egyptian president’s top legal adviser says the country’s election commission has begun preparations for the referendum on a highly contentious draft constitution. Mohammed Gaballah said Monday that the commission, which is composed of senior judges, began meeting a day earlier to organize the Dec. 15 referendum. Gaballah claimed that judges will oversee the vote despite a strike by the judiciary to protest a set of decrees issued by President Mohammed Morsi that place him above judicial oversight. According to Egyptian law, judges must observe the voting at polling stations.

Spain: Catalans vote in election | Voice of Russia

Catalans have begun voting in elections that could lead to the north-eastern region breaking away from Spain, after the region’s leader Artur Mas made the running in the campaign by vowing to hold a referendum on independence for rich but indebted Catalonia. Catalonians on Sunday vote in local elections likely to install a government committed to pushing through a referendum on independence, that Madrid has said would be illegal under the Spanish constitution.

United Kingdom: Scottish Nationalist Party threatens to defy watchdog on vote spend | Herald Scotland

In a speech to the SNP conference in Perth, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave the clearest indication yet that the Scottish Government is preparing to disregard impartial advice on campaign funding from the Electoral Commission. The neutral watchdog – handed a key role in setting referendum rules under the terms of the Edinburgh Agreement last week – favours higher spending limits for the two main campaign groups than those proposed by ministers.The commission also wants higher spending caps for political parties under a formula which the SNP claims would put it at a £1 million disadvantage.

Tennessee: Audit Report Details Shelby County TN Election Commission Faults | Memphis Daily News

The Tennessee Comptroller’s audit division has concluded the Shelby County Election Commission has “demonstrated an inability to conduct elections without significant inaccuracies, including those identified in the 2012 elections.” But the audit review requested by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett also concludes there was “no discernable evidence of intentional misconduct or other actions intended to affect or influence the election process or election outcomes in Shelby County.” The report – which goes to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Hargett and state legislators, who will recommend election commissioners for counties across the state to the Tennessee Election Commission in April – examined election problems in Shelby County prior to 2012.

Florida: Voters facing a long, long ballot in November | Tampa Bay Times

Brace yourselves, Florida voters: The election ballot you’ll see this fall is longer than ever. It’s so long that voters will have to fill out multiple sheets with races on both sides, then feed those multiple pages through ballot scanners, one page at a time. It’s a pocketbook issue, too: Some people who vote by mail will have to dig deeper and pay at least 65 cents postage and up to $1.50 to return their multipage ballots in heavier envelopes. More than ever, county election supervisors say, people should vote early or request an absentee ballot to avoid predicted bottlenecks at the polls on Election Day. “This is the longest ballot I can remember,” said Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark. “The voter who sees this ballot the first time may need smelling salts.”

Puerto Rico: Voters Reject Constitutional Amendments | Huffington Post

Voters crowded polling stations across Puerto Rico on Sunday and rejected constitutional amendments that would have reduced the size of the U.S. territory’s legislature and given judges the right to deny bail in certain murder cases. With 99 percent of polling places reporting, officials said 54 percent of the 805,337 votes counted rejected the legislative measure and 46 percent favored it. Fifty-five percent opposed the bail measure and 45 percent supported it. The referendum’s results mean Puerto Rico remains the only place in the Western Hemisphere where everyone is entitled to bail regardless of the alleged crime.

United Kingdom: Multi-option vote on Scottish independence has defects, say MPs | The Independent

A multi-option referendum on Scottish independence, further devolution or the status quo would have “fatal defects”, a committee of MPs has found. The Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has accused the SNP of “political opportunism” by refusing to rule out a question on “devo max”. The committee is composed entirely of unionist MPs following the withdrawal of SNP MP Eilidh Whiteford over a dispute with its convenor, Labour MP Ian Davidson. The fourth report from its inquiry into “the referendum on separation for Scotland” is published today and focuses on the proposals for a multi-option referendum.

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico the 51st state? Not likely | Macleans.ca

On Nov. 6, Puerto Rico is holding a referendum on the territory’s tricky political status with the United States. Puerto Rican support for formal statehood has been growing steadily in recent years, with polls showing 41 per cent want the island to become the 51st state. Yet on the mainland, the issue makes for toxic politics. The status of Spanish—which is spoken by 95 per cent of Puerto Ricans—as an official language is unpopular with conservative Republicans. And recession-weary Americans are unlikely to be enthused about any extension of national entitlement programs such as medicare and social security to an island plagued by poverty and joblessness.

United Kingdom: Nick Clegg: Lords reform plans to be abandoned | BBC

Plans to reform the House of Lords are being abandoned after Conservatives “broke the coalition contract”, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has announced. Agreement on an elected Lords could not be reached with Tory opponents, he said, and the plans would be shelved rather than face a “slow death”. As a result, he said Lib Dem MPs could not now support Conservative-driven changes to Commons boundaries in 2015. Labour said the Lords climbdown was a “humiliation” for the coalition. Changes to the make-up of the Lords would have seen 80% of peers elected and the total number of members halved to 450.

Canada: Quebec’s election: None of the above, please | The Economist

Politicians aren’t supposed to want summer elections. Voters are distracted and campaign workers are on holiday. Moreover, this year the Olympics are dominating the news. But for Jean Charest, the unpopular Liberal premier of Quebec (pictured in effigy above), an under-the-radar campaign represents his best chance of winning a fourth term. It was thus no surprise that on August 1st he called an election to be held on September 4th—long before it is required by December 2013. The rest of Canada will be watching closely. Although the Canadian economy has weathered the global recession well—it grew by 2.8% between 2008 and 2011, compared with just 1.1% in the United States—it owes its resilience mostly to the energy and commodity boom in the country’s four western provinces, where unemployment is only 5.5%. In contrast, it is 7.9% in the six eastern provinces, which rely on manufacturing and services, and 7.7% in Quebec. Home to nearly a quarter of Canada’s people, Quebec will test whether the country’s manufacturing base can recover, even as oil exports bolster the currency.

Romania: President Basescu Survives Impeachment Referendum Due to Low Turnout | Turkish Weekly

Romanian President Traian Basescu appears to have survived a referendum on his impeachment. As polls closed, preliminary figures indicated turnout was less than the 50% required to make the result invalid. Basescu, who has been suspended by parliament, had asked his supporters to boycott the vote.The center-left government had accused the center-right president of exceeding his authority and of meddling in government affairs. Polling stations closed at 23:00 local time (20:00GMT). First results are expected on Monday. Three hours before the polls were due to close, the election bureau said turnout so far had been 37.7%, the BBC reported. Initial polls put the turnout at about 44%. As voting ended, Basescu said that Romanians had “rejected a coup” by staying away from polling stations.

Romania: Romanians to Hold Presidential Recall Vote | Wall Street Journal

Romanians will vote Sunday on whether to oust their country’s president as part of an impeachment process that the European Union says threatens to undermine the former communist-bloc nation’s young democracy. The nationwide recall referendum comes amid a partisan feud between a resurgent left, led by new Prime Minister Victor Ponta, and center-right politicians, including President Traian Basescu, whose popularity has been severely dented by austerity measures and a weak economy. Recent legislative and political maneuvers carried out by Mr. Ponta’s supporters and designed to make it easier to remove Mr. Basescu have drawn fire from critics inside and outside Romania who say the moves endanger the rule of law and judicial independence. Under pressure from the EU, which Romania joined in 2007, Mr. Ponta, a 39-year-old Social Democrat, agreed to roll back measures the regional group found objectionable. However, a parliamentary vote to impeach Mr. Basescu, which triggered Sunday’s ballot, remains in force. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said Wednesday that Brussels is “still very much worried on the state of democracy in Romania.”

Romania: Opposition Urges Voters to Boycott Impeachment Ballot | Businessweek

Romania’s opposition Democratic Liberals urged voters who support suspended President Traian Basescu to boycott a referendum on July 29 to help win his reinstatement by invalidating the impeachment vote. The opposition said voters should stay away from the polling stations because the ruling coalition won’t meet the same organizational standards as in the 2009 presidential election, increasing the possibility for electoral fraud, Democrat Liberal leader Vasile Blaga told reporters in Bucharest today. The ruling Social Liberal Union don’t understand that they “should set up the vote under the same conditions as in 2009, when we also had surveillance cameras, so we ask citizens to stay away from this masquerade” Blaga said.

Romania: Referendum Voting Hours Extended to Boost Turnout | Businessweek

Romania extended the voting hours to boost turnout and increase the chances of reaching a minimum threshold to make a July 29 referendum on removing President Traian Basescu valid. Lawmakers voted in favor of changing a referendum law to keep polling stations open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mircea Dusa, the government minister in charge with the relations with the legislature, told reporters today. Parliament’s two houses also voted to introduce a requirement of a minimum turnout to meet the terms of a Constitutional Court ruling and pledges to European Union leaders.