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.

South Carolina Repubs Challenge Open Primary in Courts

SOUTH CAROLINA OPEN PRIMARY
APNewsBreak: SC Supreme Court to hear primary case (JIM DAVENPORT, Associated Press, Seattle Post Intelligencer) It is the second major challenge this year for the way South Carolina handles primaries….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…. 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. In August, Childs told lawyers on both sides to file papers with the court by Dec. 15.

CORRECTION
The Hankster incorrectly ran a headline yesterday "North Carolina Repubs Fight Open Primary" GOP suit seeks closed primary - Questions linger about who can vote, who will get bill (By Eric Connor, Greenville Online) U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs has given the state Republican Party and the State Attorney General until Dec. 15 to file arguments over whether the state’s open-primary laws are constitutional.

The headline should have read "South Carolina Repubs Fight Open Primary"

Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for the correction.