[Vision2020] Now that it's over

Wed, 26 May 2004 19:08:37 EDT

--part1_154.363055b5.2de67d75_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Carl et. al.

There is no official party registration in Idaho for purposes of voting in 
primaries.  From this point of view in Idaho there is no such thing as an 
official "crossover" vote.  There are no state, county or city records kept of party 
registration.  The parties as private organizations may keep records of who 
is in that party, but these records are only as valid as the whims of the party 
members render them.  Although when you vote in a primary in Idaho you must 
pick a party's ballot and stick to that ballot in that primary, in what is 
termed a "modified open primary," no one officially tracks what party you picked, 
and within these bounds in every primary an Idahoan (is there such a word?) is 
free to pick whatever party or candidates they want to influence.

I often have voted Democrat, but picked Nader in the last presidential race.  
Was this a crossover vote?  Though some may want to label it such, I would 
resist this.  I try to think and choose politically free of party constraints, 
and I think our political system would offer more choice, and encourage more 
participation of voters, if primaries were not dominated by political party 
control.  Idaho's modified open primary does offer voters more independence than 
some states that demand official party registration in closed primaries.

Ted Moffett

--part1_154.363055b5.2de67d75_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML><HTML> 
Carl et. al. 
 
There is no official party registration in Idaho for purposes of voting in p=
rimaries.&nbsp; From this point of view in Idaho there is no such thing as a=
n official "crossover" vote.&nbsp; There are no state, county or city record=
s kept of party registration.&nbsp; The parties as private organizations may=
 keep records of who is in that party, but these records are only as valid a=
s the whims of the party members render them.&nbsp; Although when you vote i=
n a primary in Idaho you must pick a party's ballot and stick to that ballot=
 in that primary, in what is termed a "modified open primary," no one offici=
ally tracks what party you picked, and within these bounds in every primary=20=
an Idahoan (is there such a word?) is free to pick whatever party or candida=
tes they want to influence. 
 
I often have voted Democrat, but picked Nader in the last presidential race.=
&nbsp; Was this a crossover vote?&nbsp; Though some may want to label it suc=
h, I would resist this.&nbsp; I try to think and choose politically free of=20=
party constraints, and I think our political system would offer more choice,=
 and encourage more participation of voters, if primaries were not dominated=
 by political party control.&nbsp; Idaho's modified open primary does offer=20=
voters more independence than some states that demand official party registr=
ation in closed primaries. 
 
Ted Moffett</HTML>

--part1_154.363055b5.2de67d75_boundary--