[Vision2020] Idaho's Open Primary System

Tue, 25 May 2004 05:43:37 -0700

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Yes.  I will vote today.  However, as suggested by the article in =
Suday's Spokesman Review, I will vote only in those races where there is =
no clear Democratic Party contender in opposition come general election =
day.  If there were a clear Domocratic contender, I would not be voting =
in the Republican primary.

It really is just that simple.

See you at the polls,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the =
tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." --Adlai E. Stevenson, =
Jr."

  -----Original Message-----
  From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com =
[mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On Behalf Of Tbertruss@aol.com
  Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 11:53 PM
  To: vision2020@moscow.com
  Subject: [Vision2020] Idaho's Open Primary System

  All:

  Idaho has a modified open primary system that allows so called =
"crossover" 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" party even if you are usually a die hard devotee to only one =
side, with no pretense of being an "independent,"
  even allowing voting for precinct committee chair for the party you =
might 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 elections open to any voters who want to participate, and that'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. But the effect might be to strengthen most of the open primary =
system, and draw some useful attention to the under-appreciated job of =
precinct committee chair.

  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 primary election, and then you must vote in the primary of =
the party you choose. This is called the =E2=80=9Cclosed =
primary=E2=80=9D system; it allows only 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 a ballot and =
vote in, say, the Democratic contest for state Senate and the Republican =
primary for governor, on the same ballot. Idaho doesn't do that: You =
have to choose one party's primary, and stick with it in that election. =
But 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 that party's organizational officers.

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

  It's an interesting gray-area offices that gets too little attention =
in talks about politics. They have two kinds of roles, one generally =
public (the reason the public gets to vote for them) and one specific to =
the political party organization. On the public side, precinct committee =
chairs taken together form county and legislative district committees =
which nominate replacement legislators and other elected officials when =
seats come open in mid-term. That usually happens a few times a year =
around the state, as when Sen. Judi Danielson left to join the Northwest =
Power Planning Council several months ago; the Republican legislative =
district central committee from her legislative district nominated three =
possible replacements to the governor, who in turn chose one.

  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 with a lot of people efficiently, and to provide =
campaign help when that season arrives. Just in the last year, both =
Idaho Republicans and Democrats have launched unusually aggressive =
efforts aimed at filling those positions (881 of them statewide) around =
Idaho. In October, the Republicans announced they had filled 80 percent =
of their precinct positions statewide =E2=80=93 a strong showing. Many =
were filled by appointment, however, not election.=20

  The irony is that on election day anyone can vote for those key party =
workers. A contest for Republican precinct chair (in 2000 statewide =
there were 41 contested Republican precinct offices, and six contested =
Democratic) could be 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 should be noted that =E2=80=9Cfalloff=E2=80=9D is =
significant; far fewer people ordinarily vote for precinct chair than =
for, say, president or senator.)

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

  None of that means you'd have to register as a party member. But the =
fact that you ask for a ballot linked to a party will be recorded, and =
some Republicans figure that may give them a good working list of =
Republican loyalists in the 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 =
registration for anyone who wants to vote. A separate ballot for the =
only true party position on the ballot =E2=80=93 precinct committee =
chair =E2=80=93 might have the effect of blocking those efforts ...=20

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

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8">
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<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Yes.&nbsp; I will=20
vote today.&nbsp; However, as suggested by the article in Suday's =
Spokesman=20
Review, I will vote only in those races where there is no clear =
Democratic Party=20
contender in opposition come general election day.&nbsp; If there were a =
clear=20
Domocratic contender, I would not be voting in the Republican=20
primary.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>It =
really is just=20
that simple.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>See =
you at the=20
polls,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D373313812-25052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Tom =

Hansen</DIV>
<DIV>Moscow,=20
Idaho</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: =
12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; =
mso-bidi-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">"Patriotism=20
is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and =
steady=20
dedication of a lifetime." --Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.<SPAN=20
class=3D373313812-25052004>"</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
 <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>-----Original Message----- From: =
vision2020-admin@moscow.com=20
 [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On Behalf Of=20
 Tbertruss@aol.com Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 11:53=20
 PM To: vision2020@moscow.com Subject: [Vision2020] =
Idaho's=20
 Open Primary System </DIV><FONT=20
 lang=3D0 face=3DArial size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" =
PTSIZE=3D"10"> All: Idaho=20
 has a modified open primary system that allows so called "crossover" =
voting in=20
 primaries.&nbsp; Linda Pall's info appears right on the =
mark. It is=20
 rather interesting to observe it is allowed to influence the "other" =
party=20
 even if you are usually a die hard devotee to only one side, with no =
pretense=20
 of being an "independent," even allowing voting for precinct =
committee=20
 chair for the party you might loath. Read the article at this =
link for=20
 more clarification of the details: <A=20
 =
href=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/p011029.htm">http://www.ri=
denbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/p011029.htm</A> <IMG=20
 height=3D54 =
src=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/pdoxarc/pdoxban2.gif" width=3D430=20
 border=3D0 DATASIZE=3D"12254" NOSEND=3D"1"> <IMG height=3D195=20
 src=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/photo/stap06.jpg" width=3D80 =
border=3D0=20
 DATASIZE=3D"6509" NOSEND=3D"1"> <IMG height=3D5=20
 src=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/bar4.gif" width=3D335 border=3D0 =

  DATASIZE=3D"5816" NOSEND=3D"1"><BR></FONT><FONT lang=3D0=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=3DImpact color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D5=20
  FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"18" BACK=3D"#ffffff"><B>RANDY =
STAPILUS</FONT><FONT=20
  lang=3D0 style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=3DArial =
color=3D#000000 size=3D3=20
  FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"12" BACK=3D"#ffffff"></B> <IMG =
height=3D5=20
  src=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/bar4.gif" width=3D335 border=3D0 =

DATASIZE=3D"5816" NOSEND=3D"1"> Closing the =
Primary, a=20
 Little=20
 
 BOISE 
 For many=20
 years Idaho has landed firmly on the side of keeping its primary =
elections=20
 open to any voters who want to participate, and that's not likely to =
change=20
 anytime soon.It could change a little if a proposal from the state =
Republican=20
 Party becomes law this next legislative session. But the effect might =
be to=20
 strengthen most of the open primary system, and draw some useful =
attention to=20
 the under-appreciated job of precinct committee chair. To back =
up a=20
 bit: States have various rules for voters in primary elections. In =
some=20
 states, you have to register as a member of a party to vote in a =
primary=20
 election, and then you must vote in the primary of the party you =
choose. This=20
 is called the =E2=80=9Cclosed primary=E2=80=9D system; it allows only =
declared members of a=20
 party to vote in that party's primary elections. Its opposite (and =
there are=20
 variations in between) is the =E2=80=9Copen primary.=E2=80=9D Some =
states have gone so far as=20
 to allow voters to bounce around a ballot and vote in, say, the =
Democratic=20
 contest for state Senate and the Republican primary for governor, on =
the same=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=20
 party's ballot, including some of that party's organizational=20
 officers. Didn't know you could do that? You do at the bottom =
of the=20
 ballot, when you vote for precinct committee chair. It's an =
interesting=20
 gray-area offices that gets too little attention in talks about =
politics. They=20
 have two kinds of roles, one generally public (the reason the public =
gets to=20
 vote for them) and one specific to the political party organization. =
On the=20
 public side, precinct committee chairs taken together form county and=20
 legislative district committees which nominate replacement legislators =
and=20
 other elected officials when seats come open in mid-term. That usually =
happens=20
 a few times a year around the state, as when Sen. Judi Danielson left =
to join=20
 the Northwest Power Planning Council several months ago; the =
Republican=20
 legislative district central committee from her legislative district =
nominated=20
 three possible replacements to the governor, who in turn chose=20
 one. Precinct committee people are also important for parties =
and=20
 campaigns; they are the people in the grass roots who allow the =
parties both=20
 to keep touch with a lot of people efficiently, and to provide =
campaign help=20
 when that season arrives. Just in the last year, both Idaho =
Republicans and=20
 Democrats have launched unusually aggressive efforts aimed at filling =
those=20
 positions (881 of them statewide) around Idaho. In October, the =
Republicans=20
 announced they had filled 80 percent of their precinct positions =
statewide =E2=80=93 a=20
 strong showing. Many 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 were=20
 41 contested Republican precinct offices, and six contested =
Democratic) could=20
 be decided by the collection of Republican, Democratic and independent =
voters=20
 who choose to vote in it =E2=80=93 which seems an odd result. (Though =
it should be=20
 noted that =E2=80=9Cfalloff=E2=80=9D is significant; far fewer people =
ordinarily vote for=20
 precinct chair than for, say, president or senator.) Enter the =
state=20
 Republican Party, whose leaders have proposed a variation: A separate =
ballot=20
 for those voters who want to vote for precinct committee people. These =
ballots=20
 would be handed out by poll workers, and they would record who asks =
for a=20
 Republican or Democratic ballot =E2=80=93 for precinct committee chair =
elections=20
 only. None of that means you'd have to register as a party =
member. But=20
 the fact that you ask for a ballot linked to a party will be recorded, =
and=20
 some Republicans figure that may give them a good working list of =
Republican=20
 loyalists in the state. (Democrats may figure the same.) There are =
occasional=20
 calls to =E2=80=9Cclose=E2=80=9D Idaho primary elections generally =
=E2=80=93 which would mean general=20
 party registration for anyone who wants to vote. A separate ballot for =
the=20
 only true party position on the ballot =E2=80=93 precinct committee =
chair =E2=80=93 might have=20
 the effect of blocking those efforts ... <A=20
 href=3D"http://www.ridenbaugh.com/ipad/stapilus.htm">RANDY =
STAPILUS</A>=20
 has been a political and public affairs writer and editor in Idaho =
since 1974.=20
 He is editor and publisher of the Idaho Public Affairs Digest =
and other=20
 publications. Write us at <A=20
 =
href=3D"mailto:paradox@ridenbaugh.com">paradox@ridenbaugh.com</A>=
 or=20
 call (208) 344-0844. 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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