Washington: Protect petitioners

Tue, Apr 27 2010 — Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that speaks to core issues of voting and political freedom: Should the names of people who sign petitions to get referendums on ballots be public or secret? The question is whether signing such a referendum is similar to casting a vote in an election or more closely resembles the type of political activism that should be public, such as making a sizable donation to a campaign.