[Vision2020] Idaho's Open Primary System

Tbertruss@aol.com Tbertruss@aol.com
Tue, 25 May 2004 02:52:40 EDT


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All:

Idaho has a modified open primary system that allows so called "crossover"=20
voting in primaries.  Linda Pall's info appears right on the mark.

It is rather interesting to observe it is allowed to influence the "other"=20
party even if you are usually a die hard devotee to only one side, with no=20
pretense of being an "independent,"
even allowing voting for precinct committee chair for the party you might=20
loath.

Read the article at this link for more clarification of the details:

http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/p011029.htm



 =20
RANDY STAPILUS  Closing the Primary, a Little  =20
BOISE=20

For many years Idaho has landed firmly on the side of keeping its primary=20
elections open to any voters who want to participate, and that's not likely=20=
to=20
change anytime soon.It could change a little if a proposal from the state=20
Republican Party becomes law this next legislative session. But the effect m=
ight be=20
to strengthen most of the open primary system, and draw some useful attentio=
n=20
to the under-appreciated job of precinct committee chair.

To back up a bit: States have various rules for voters in primary elections.=
=20
In some states, you have to register as a member of a party to vote in a=20
primary election, and then you must vote in the primary of the party you cho=
ose.=20
This is called the =E2=80=9Cclosed primary=E2=80=9D system; it allows only d=
eclared members of=20
a party to vote in that party's primary elections. Its opposite (and there a=
re=20
variations in between) is the =E2=80=9Copen primary.=E2=80=9D Some states ha=
ve gone so far=20
as to allow voters to bounce around a ballot and vote in, say, the Democrati=
c=20
contest for state Senate and the Republican primary for governor, on the sam=
e=20
ballot. Idaho doesn't do that: You have to choose one party's primary, and=20
stick with it in that election. But you don't have to publicly declare which=
=20
party's primary you're voting in, and you can vote for everything on that pa=
rty's=20
ballot, including some of that party's organizational officers.

Didn't know you could do that? You do at the bottom of the ballot, when you=20
vote for precinct committee chair.

It's an interesting gray-area offices that gets too little attention in talk=
s=20
about politics. They have two kinds of roles, one generally public (the=20
reason the public gets to vote for them) and one specific to the political p=
arty=20
organization. On the public side, precinct committee chairs taken together f=
orm=20
county and legislative district committees which nominate replacement=20
legislators and other elected officials when seats come open in mid-term. Th=
at usually=20
happens a few times a year around the state, as when Sen. Judi Danielson lef=
t=20
to join the Northwest Power Planning Council several months ago; the=20
Republican legislative district central committee from her legislative distr=
ict=20
nominated three possible replacements to the governor, who in turn chose one=
.

Precinct committee people are also important for parties and campaigns; they=
=20
are the people in the grass roots who allow the parties both to keep touch=20
with a lot of people efficiently, and to provide campaign help when that sea=
son=20
arrives. Just in the last year, both Idaho Republicans and Democrats have=20
launched unusually aggressive efforts aimed at filling those positions (881=20=
of them=20
statewide) around Idaho. In October, the Republicans announced they had=20
filled 80 percent of their precinct positions statewide =E2=80=93 a strong s=
howing. Many=20
were filled by appointment, however, not election.=20

The irony is that on election day anyone can vote for those key party=20
workers. A contest for Republican precinct chair (in 2000 statewide there we=
re 41=20
contested Republican precinct offices, and six contested Democratic) could b=
e=20
decided by the collection of Republican, Democratic and independent voters w=
ho=20
choose to vote in it =E2=80=93 which seems an odd result. (Though it should=20=
be noted=20
that =E2=80=9Cfalloff=E2=80=9D is significant; far fewer people ordinarily v=
ote for precinct=20
chair than for, say, president or senator.)

Enter the state Republican Party, whose leaders have proposed a variation: A=
=20
separate ballot for those voters who want to vote for precinct committee=20
people. These ballots would be handed out by poll workers, and they would re=
cord=20
who asks for a Republican or Democratic ballot =E2=80=93 for precinct commit=
tee chair=20
elections only.

None of that means you'd have to register as a party member. But the fact=20
that you ask for a ballot linked to a party will be recorded, and some=20
Republicans figure that may give them a good working list of Republican loya=
lists in the=20
state. (Democrats may figure the same.) There are occasional calls to =E2=
=80=9Cclose=E2=80=9D
 Idaho primary elections generally =E2=80=93 which would mean general party=20
registration for anyone who wants to vote. A separate ballot for the only tr=
ue party=20
position on the ballot =E2=80=93 precinct committee chair =E2=80=93 might ha=
ve the effect of=20
blocking those efforts ...=20

RANDY STAPILUS has been a political and public affairs writer and editor in=20
Idaho since 1974. He is editor and publisher of the Idaho Public Affairs Dig=
est=20
and other publications. Write us at paradox@ridenbaugh.com or call (208)=20
344-0844.=20
   =20
   =20


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
All:<BR>
<BR>
Idaho has a modified open primary system that allows so called "crossover" v=
oting in primaries.&nbsp; Linda Pall's info appears right on the mark.<BR>
<BR>
It is rather interesting to observe it is allowed to influence the "other" p=
arty even if you are usually a die hard devotee to only one side, with no pr=
etense of being an "independent,"<BR>
even allowing voting for precinct committee chair for the party you might lo=
ath.<BR>
<BR>
Read the article at this link for more clarification of the details:<BR>
<BR>
<A HREF=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/p011029.htm">http://www.ri=
denbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/p011029.htm</A><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<IMG  SRC=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/pdoxban2.gif" WIDTH=3D"4=
30" HEIGHT=3D"54" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"12254"> <IMG  SRC=3D"http://www.r=
idenbaugh.com/ipad/photo/stap06.jpg" WIDTH=3D"80" HEIGHT=3D"195" BORDER=3D"0=
" DATASIZE=3D"6509"> <IMG  SRC=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/bar4.gif" W=
IDTH=3D"335" HEIGHT=3D"5" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"5816"><BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#0000ff" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Impact" LANG=3D"0=
"><B>RANDY STAPILUS</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></B> <IMG  SRC=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/bar4=
.gif" WIDTH=3D"335" HEIGHT=3D"5" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"5816"> </FONT><FON=
T  COLOR=3D"#a52a2a" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SI=
ZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><B>Closing=
 the Primary, a Little</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#a52a2a" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></B> </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#a52a2a" BACK=3D"#ffffff"=
 style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERI=
F" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">  <BR>
<P ALIGN=3DRIGHT></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#0000ff" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"B=
ACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"=
Arial" LANG=3D"0"><B>BOISE</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#a52a2a" BACK=3D"#ffffff" s=
tyle=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF"=
 FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></B> <BR>
<BR>
<P ALIGN=3DLEFT></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BA=
CKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"A=
rial" LANG=3D"0">For many years Idaho has landed firmly on the side of keepi=
ng its primary elections open to any voters who want to participate, and tha=
t's not likely to change anytime soon.It could change a little if a proposal=
 from the state Republican Party becomes law this next legislative session.=20=
But the effect might be to strengthen most of the open primary system, and d=
raw some useful attention to the under-appreciated job of precinct committee=
 chair.<BR>
<BR>
To back up a bit: States have various rules for voters in primary elections.=
 In some states, you have to register as a member of a party to vote in a pr=
imary election, and then you must vote in the primary of the party you choos=
e. This is called the =E2=80=9Cclosed primary=E2=80=9D system; it allows onl=
y declared members of a party to vote in that party's primary elections. Its=
 opposite (and there are variations in between) is the =E2=80=9Copen primary=
.=E2=80=9D Some states have gone so far as to allow voters to bounce around=20=
a ballot and vote in, say, the Democratic contest for state Senate and the R=
epublican primary for governor, on the same ballot. Idaho doesn't do that: Y=
ou have to choose one party's primary, and stick with it in that election. B=
ut you don't have to publicly declare which party's primary you're voting in=
, and you can vote for everything on that party's ballot, including some of=20=
that party's organizational officers.<BR>
<BR>
Didn't know you could do that? You do at the bottom of the ballot, when you=20=
vote for precinct committee chair.<BR>
<BR>
It's an interesting gray-area offices that gets too little attention in talk=
s about politics. They have two kinds of roles, one generally public (the re=
ason the public gets to vote for them) and one specific to the political par=
ty organization. On the public side, precinct committee chairs taken togethe=
r form county and legislative district committees which nominate replacement=
 legislators and other elected officials when seats come open in mid-term. T=
hat usually happens a few times a year around the state, as when Sen. Judi D=
anielson left to join the Northwest Power Planning Council several months ag=
o; the Republican legislative district central committee from her legislativ=
e district nominated three possible replacements to the governor, who in tur=
n chose one.<BR>
<BR>
Precinct committee people are also important for parties and campaigns; they=
 are the people in the grass roots who allow the parties both to keep touch=20=
with a lot of people efficiently, and to provide campaign help when that sea=
son arrives. Just in the last year, both Idaho Republicans and Democrats hav=
e launched unusually aggressive efforts aimed at filling those positions (88=
1 of them statewide) around Idaho. In October, the Republicans announced the=
y had filled 80 percent of their precinct positions statewide =E2=80=93 a st=
rong showing. Many were filled by appointment, however, not election. <BR>
<BR>
The irony is that on election day anyone can vote for those key party worker=
s. A contest for Republican precinct chair (in 2000 statewide there were 41=20=
contested Republican precinct offices, and six contested Democratic) could b=
e decided by the collection of Republican, Democratic and independent voters=
 who choose to vote in it =E2=80=93 which seems an odd result. (Though it sh=
ould be noted that =E2=80=9Cfalloff=E2=80=9D is significant; far fewer peopl=
e ordinarily vote for precinct chair than for, say, president or senator.)<B=
R>
<BR>
Enter the state Republican Party, whose leaders have proposed a variation: A=
 separate ballot for those voters who want to vote for precinct committee pe=
ople. These ballots would be handed out by poll workers, and they would reco=
rd who asks for a Republican or Democratic ballot =E2=80=93 for precinct com=
mittee chair elections only.<BR>
<BR>
None of that means you'd have to register as a party member. But the fact th=
at you ask for a ballot linked to a party will be recorded, and some Republi=
cans figure that may give them a good working list of Republican loyalists i=
n the state. (Democrats may figure the same.) There are occasional calls to=20=
=E2=80=9Cclose=E2=80=9D Idaho primary elections generally =E2=80=93 which wo=
uld mean general party registration for anyone who wants to vote. A separate=
 ballot for the only true party position on the ballot =E2=80=93 precinct co=
mmittee chair =E2=80=93 might have the effect of blocking those efforts ...=20=
<BR>
<BR>
<B><A HREF=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/stapilus.htm">RANDY STAPILUS</A=
></B></B> has been a political and public affairs writer and editor in Idaho=
 since 1974. He is editor and publisher of the <I>Idaho Public Affairs Diges=
t</I> and other publications. Write us at <B><A HREF=3D"mailto:paradox@riden=
baugh.com">paradox@ridenbaugh.com</A></B></B> or call (208) 344-0844. <BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#a52a2a" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"=
>    <BR>
    <BR>
<BR>
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