On November 7, 1995, one county and 17 U.S. cities of all sizes, from diverse regions of the country, will make electoral history in conducting the first major ballot-box test for the 1996 presidential campaign. The participating cities met a July qualifying deadline for participation in CityVote, the nation's first-ever urban-based presidential preference primary balloting. Collectively, the population of participating cities is 3.5 million -- three times the size of New Hampshire, home of the highly-touted first binding primary.
        CityVote participants include: Boston (MA); Boulder (CO); Coeur d'Alene (ID); Fayette (MO); Greenburgh (NY); Lacey (WA); Minneapolis (MN); Moscow (ID); Olympia (WA); Pasadena (CA); Rochester (NY); Saint Paul (MN); Spokane County (WA); Spokane (WA); Tacoma (WA); Tucson (AZ); and Tumwater (WA). All participating cities will conduct the presidential preference balloting in conjunction with their November 7, 1995 local elections. Baltimore (MD) is also a participating city, subject to resolving legal obstacles posed by state law.
        Although CityVote is non-binding, a number of participating cities are located in states critical to both the Democratic and Republican parties' convention delegate selection process and the subsequent fall 1996 general election. These states include California, Massachusetts, New York, Washington and Arizona.
        "CityVote results could really upset the 'business as usual nature of my state's political process,' said Rochester (NY) city council member Tim Mains. "Presidential candidates will have to speak to the concerns of New Yorkers first, rather than later in the primary season when the nominations are already a lock," he said. The combined population of New York's two CityVote cities, Rochester and Greenburgh, exceeds 300,000.
        CityVote balloting came about as the result of a feasibility study initiated by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1992, determining that the prevailing presidential primary calendar led to neglect of urban issues.
        For ballot access, CityVote is following Washington state's rule: all presidential candidates who are conducting nationally significant campaigns -- as measured by evidence of national organization such as fundraising activity -- will be on the ballot, whether or not they wish to be. Candidates can have their name removed from the ballot only upon submitting a written declaration of non-candidacy.

        For information, contact: CityVote, 14978 Sand Canyon Avenue, Suite A, Irvine, CA 92718, (714) 552-9596.

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Chapter Six