Federal Judge: South Carolina Open Primaries Are Constitutional

SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN PRIMARIES

• U.S. judge allows S.C. primary challenge arguments (By JIM DAVENPORT, The Associated Press, Bluffton Today) South Carolina requires no party registration to vote in primaries. Republicans argued open primaries infringe on their constitutional rights to associate with people of their choosing. But the state’s lawyers countered that people voting in a primary are picking a party with which to align. U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs ruled the state’s open primaries are constitutional. However, the GOP’s lawyers have asked Childs to alter her opinion.
• Lawyers making additional arguments in challenge to SC's open primaries (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The Republic - IN) Closing a primary to only people who have registered by political party would be a major shift in a key presidential primary state that now allows all voters to participate in the contest they choose.