Today is primary day and 3.5 million Flori

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Primaries: Partisan interests pervade

The case against moving up California's primary, By DAN WALTERS ...It would further distort California's convoluted practice of governing by ballot measure because voter turnout in primary elections is deeply affected by the dynamics of the intra-party contests at stake. If, for instance, there were to be a hot battle among Democratic presidential candidates but none on the Republican side, it would mean a big turnout of Democratic voters, which would tilt the playing field in favor of left-of-center ballot measures. And by their nature, primary elections effectively diminish participation by independent voters, the electorate's fastest-growing segment. ...

The rise in independent voter registration, non-partisan and unaffiliated registration is dramatic, not just in California, but nationally. Primaries are party affairs. How can independents participate, given that most independents don't like parties and the exclusive nature of party structures? This is the question that independents all over the country are considering... What do you think?

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