Backers of a Measure to Change California Electoral System Aim for November Ballot

Republican supporters of a measure to change how California's electoral votes are counted said Dec. 6 that qualifying for the June 2008 ballot is "unrealistic" and they will direct their attention to November.

The initiative has drawn national attention because it would assign California's electors on a district-by-district basis rather than award the statewide winner all 55 electoral votes, potentially dividing up the most populous state and one that has been reliably Democratic since 1992.

By waiting until November, initiative backers face two significant downsides. First, they are unlikely to benefit from the depressed turnout expected in June, a factor that would have likely meant a smaller proportion of Democratic voters. They also stand to face a legal challenge over whether the initiative would apply to the 2008 presidential election because they would appear on the same ballot.

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