Independents May Be Allowed Primary Vote

[Hobbes]

Fortunately this isn't about open primaries like that Rick.

Registered eemocrats won't be able to vote in republican primaries and vice versa.
The dems are probably going to change their party rules to allow independents to vote in dem primaries.
Republicans almost certainly won't do that.
After all, if you could register as independent and vote in either the dem primary OR the republican primary most people would register as independent.

The Democrats aren't doing this out of a newfound sense of justice; They see an opportunity to gain some small political advantage by opening their primaries up to more voters.

 

[donner]

The only problem with open primaries is it gives the other party a chance to screw with your party. In many northern states liberals vote in the GOP primary so that a more liberal candidate is chosen. It does not always work but it happens every election. You can bet 2016 will be a big year for the Dims doing it since they are pretty much stuck with Mrs Bill Clinton.

It also works the other way, though, too. In states where the primary is the de facto election, open primaries allow citizens from both sides to shape the final outcome. If you're a republican who lives in the north east, you might vote in the democratic primary to help ensure the more conservative candidate wins since you know the R candidate wont win the general election.

If you're a democrat in the south, you might vote in the GOP primary to help pick a moderate republican over a tea party republican since you know that the democratic candidate wont win the general election anyway.

There is nothing, save for more planning, that keeps people from influencing the other party's primary regardless of how it is setup.

 

[Dave70968]

Their party, their rules.

 

[TerryMiller]

Sounds like the Dems are getting desperate. They've seen their "base" diminish over the years in Oklahoma, even for the state offices. Oklahoma, for a long time, has been going for the Republicans in the national elections.

It will be interesting to see how the Democratic primary chooses if they go with allowing the independents to vote in their primary. If the "party faithful" really wants the Hildebeast, but the independents can swing the Oklahoma primary to one of the others on the left, I wonder if they'd change their stance on allowing independents to vote in the next primary?

 

[MaddSkillz]

Hmm, this may be the thing that spurs me into becoming a registered voter.

 

[donner]

Meh, by super tuesday the list of candidates will have narrowed. Besides, other 'swing state' primaries on that day will hold more sway for the national election.

 

[MaddSkillz]

True and nobody has proven to be worth my vote anyway.

 

[SoonerP226]

Their party, their rules.

You know what, I keep hearing that, but when I go vote in these CLOSED primaries, the polling places are staffed by the same county election board people and using the same election board materials as the general elections. And it really pisses me off when I don't get a say in who's elected simply because one party is too disorganized to run a candidate for an office. Take, f'rinstance, my county commissioner--I probably would've voted for him, but because he ran as a Republican and the Jackasses didn't even field a candidate, I got the commissioner the GOP voters wanted. Talk about being disenfranchised.

BTW, why in the world would an independent want to vote in a Democratic primary? Hell's bells, I'm a Democrat, and I don't want to vote for most of those losers.

 

[donner]

You know what, I keep hearing that, but when I go vote in these CLOSED primaries, the polling places are staffed by the same county election board people and using the same election board materials as the general elections. And it really pisses me off when I don't get a say in who's elected simply because one party is too disorganized to run a candidate for an office. Take, f'rinstance, my county commissioner--I probably would've voted for him, but because he ran as a Republican and the Jackasses didn't even field a candidate, I got the commissioner the GOP voters wanted. Talk about being disenfranchised.

BTW, why in the world would an independent want to vote in a Democratic primary? Hell's bells, I'm a Democrat, and I don't want to vote for most of those losers.

this gets to an interesting point about why many elected positions are even partisan to begin with.

 

[Dave70968]

You know what, I keep hearing that, but when I go vote in these CLOSED primaries, the polling places are staffed by the same county election board people and using the same election board materials as the general elections. And it really pisses me off when I don't get a say in who's elected simply because one party is too disorganized to run a candidate for an office. Take, f'rinstance, my county commissioner--I probably would've voted for him, but because he ran as a Republican and the Jackasses didn't even field a candidate, I got the commissioner the GOP voters wanted. Talk about being disenfranchised.

Okay. Throw your hat in the ring and run.