NYC DP Pols Resist Support for Nonpartisan Elections

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• City Leaders Blast Proposal To End Partisan Primaries (By: NY1 News)
• A vote for open primaries (Crain's New York) Seven years after voters decisively rejected a proposed system of nonpartisan elections, the commission reviewing the City Charter is considering the question again. The panel believes open primaries—in which the top two finishers advance to the general election—would help reverse a decline in voter turnout that has continued since the public chose to keep the current system. Voters should be given the choice this November to reconsider their 2003 decision.
• Rev. Al Sharpton clashes with Mayor Bloomberg and pet cause calling for nonpartisan elections (BY KATHLEEN LUCADAMO, DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU) "We can't allow people to drive us away from the empowerment of our community," said Sharpton. He added, "If we end up with no party....We go back to Ground Zero."
• No Easy Answers In Charter Review (By DOMENICK RAFTER, Queens Tribune) On non-partisan elections, most commissioners agreed that the current process is unfair to most voters. Commissioner Fiala said that there were more than three quarters of a million voters in New York City not registered in a party, thus meaning they could not vote in partisan primaries, which is where most elections in the city are decided.
• Non-Partisan Elections (Brennan Center for Justice/ReformNY) Just a few short weeks ago, it looked like the issue of non-partisan elections was dead for the City Charter Revision Commission. In the past few days, however, there appeared to be a serious pushback -- claims of its demise were said to be premature.

Check here for VIDEO of community and expert testimony before the NYC Charter Revision Commission

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

FLORIDA

• Robust turnout suggests GOP has no lock on state (Herald Tribune - Sarasota) But the key challenge for the Democratic nominee is winning over independents. One in five voters in Florida is not affiliated with either party, meaning they will form a substantial swing vote.
• Fla. win cements McCain's front-runner status (By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY) Among voters who were registered GOP but called themselves independents, McCain won 2-1.
• For McCain, Momentum That May Be Hard to Stop (By Dan Balz, Washington Post) While not the darling of the conservative establishment, McCain is seen by many rank-and-file Republicans, and some party leaders, as their most electable nominee. They also consider him the one with the greatest opportunity to reach beyond the party's base to draw independent voters, who have swung toward Democrats in the past two years.
• Large Turnout But Few Problems (WFTV Orlando) The biggest problem, Browning said, was voters who had not declared a party affiliation showing up expecting to vote for a presidential candidate and being told they could not.
• Sarasota County voters head to the polls (WWSB ABC 7 Sarasota) Another problem: irate Independent voters. "There have been several people come out disgusted. They were all registered Independents. They came here thinking they would be able to vote and it's voter confusion," said voter Ken Wingate.
• Democrats shut out of Florida (By Mark Potter, NBC Field Notes) For local Democrats there was the sickening realization they may have just shot themselves in the foot with many of the state's famously independent voters come November.
• Leon doesn't follow state voting trends (By Julian Pecquet, Tallahassee Democrat) Carlos Verney, a member of the College Democrats. He called for the state to adopt open primaries.

MISSOURI

• Hulshof joins governor race (By Virginia Young, St. Louis Post Dispatch) Hulshof projects himself as an outsider; his district is a "haven for independents" ...

ARIZONA

• Independent voters: A force that should be recognized (Arizona Republic)

CALIFORNIA

• California Independents Like Obama, But Will Have Trouble Voting For Him (Max Follmer, The Huffington Post) "Independent voters are making an unprecedented impact on primary elections across America this year. But in California, if you don't know to ask for a Democratic ballot, you don't get to vote for President," said Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, a progressive grass-roots organization in California that has launched an effort to inform independent voters about voting in the presidential primary.
• Calif. Independents Barred from GOP Primary (by Ina Jaffe, NPR)
• Commentary: You May Have Your Ballot, But You May Not Be Able to Vote (By Constance M. Piesinger, Berkeley Daily Planet)

SUPER TUESDAY

• Obama Team Sets Sights On Post-Super Tuesday Prizes (Huffington Post ) ..among the 22 Super Tuesday states are 16 "where decent attendance from undeclared and independent voters" would favor Obama. This is the conventional wisdom. This is why that massive phone bank for Obama last Saturday in the California field offices (220,000 calls made) targeted those voters.
• Useful Brennan Center Article about Deadlines for Independent Voters to Re-Register, if they Want to Vote in Presidential Primaries (Ballot Access News) SEE REFERENCED ARTICLE BELOW
• Shhh, Or Independents Might Actually Get to Vote (By Renée Paradis, Brennan Center blog)
• INDEPENDENTS GO HOME-Open Primaries Are Killing Democracy (Ted Rall, Yahoo News) NOTE: Ted thinks polarization is good for democracy...... he's a real fighter, but he's on the wrong side of the issue...