Amendment Reaffirms a Multi-Party Ballot

Legislators placed a proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot Thursday to counter an initiative that opponents said would exclude minor political parties and lead to one-party general elections for many offices.

Critics of the proposed amendment said it was an attempt to confuse voters by linking the debate over how to structure the state’s elections to a potentially popular plan to sell surplus state property to help pay off deficit bonds.

By a 55-21 vote, the Assembly approved the proposed amendment by Sens. Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) and Dede Alpert (D-Coronado) that would reaffirm the right of political parties to have their top vote-earning candidates in the general election.