California: Independents Rule!

Independents Rule Three Big Liberal Counties (LA Times Blog) You can see why conservatives in the California Republican Party won't allow decline-to-state independents to vote in their presidential primary next year. The GOP has effectively closed its Feb. 5, 2008, presidential ballot to party members only, to avoid mischief or undue influence from people who aren't true believers. The Democratic Party is, however, allowing decline-to-state voters inside the tent.

Although independent voters hold a wide variety of political viewpoints, the San Francisco, Marin and Alameda county voting blocs are rather large and could indeed favor moderate GOP candidates. That is, if those independent voters 1) were allowed to participate in the Republican presidential primary and 2) didn't want to vote in the equally exciting Democratic presidential race. Not a single Top 10 Republican county shows up in the Top 10 list of decline-to-state counties, but three big-and-liberal Bay Area counties are cross-pollinating between Democratic and independent....

Idaho: Showdown on open primaries

'Collision coming' between Idaho, GOP, By Parker Howell, BOISE – The stage is set for a legal clash between the State of Idaho and the Idaho Republican Party over the fate of primary elections, state officials and lawmakers said Friday.
If lawmakers don’t pass legislation this session to partially restrict primary elections, and state GOP leaders pursue a proposal to close their primaries to non-members, the tangle might go to the courts.
A recent opinion by the Idaho attorney general’s office said courts would rule in favor of the party on First Amendment grounds. ... (Spokesman Review)