TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/25/10

OPEN PRIMARIES

• AZ: Irvin Commentary: 'Open' primary still closed for many - Arizona's open primary still a lock for 2 parties (By: Steve Irvin, ABC15)
• DC: Independent Voter Fracas Heating Up (Posted by Alan Suderman, Washington City Paper) Tomorrow Team Fenty and Team Gray will square off at the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics over whether or not the city’s 72,000 registered independent voters should be able to vote in the Democratic primary next month.
• AZ: Poll: Most Arizonans Want Jungle Primaries (POSTED BY JIM NINTZEL, Tucson Weekly)
• VT: Voters Head To Polls For Primary Election (Melody Bodette, Vermont Public Radio)
• FL: Open primary needed to boost voter turnout (LETTER The Tampa Tribune)

TUESDAY'S PRIMARIES

• Primaries coast to coast test Establishment vs. Outsiders (By Dan Balz, Mercury News/Washington Post ) Five states were holding contests -- Arizona, Florida, Alaska, Vermont and Oklahoma -- on one of the last major primary days before the general election in November.
• Vermont Voters Pick Candidates for State, Federal Offices; Leahy Wins Nomination (Fox News)

CALIFORNIA

• Judge rules that Maldonado can continue fight for open primaries (By Kurtis Alexander - Santa Cruz Sentinel/Mercury News) Dutta, who filed suit July 28 to block the measure, says he's not necessarily opposed to Proposition 14 or open primaries, just how they're being implemented. Dutta's lawsuit challenges the legislation implementing Proposition 14, specifically provisions that discard write-in votes in general elections and deny minor party candidates from listing their party affiliation.
• Bell, Stern to lead task force on updating Political Reform Act (Sac Bee)
• Independent voters haven't yet seen what they're looking for in California governor's race (BySteve Lopez, LA Times)
• California Lawsuit Over “Top-Two” Becomes a 3-Cornered Fight (Ballot Access News)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Cross-Party Endorsements Support Candidates, Not Canons (Newsweek) The For-the-Sake-of-Bipartisanship Endorsement: Hagel is not the only big name endorsement Sestak has in his corner; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also publicly backed Sestak’s campaign.

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Scott's destiny challenged by third party candidates (Posted by Greg Hambrick, Charleston City Paper)

NEW YORK

• DSCC Spends On Consultants, WFP, But Not Espada (By Edward-Isaac Dovere, City Hall News) In the last month, Senate Democrats spent $227,000 on consultants, $69,000 on an additional contribution to the Working Families Party and $253,000 on behalf of a wide range of candidates—including nearly every incumbent facing a primary—but not a cent so far for Espada. [i.e. independence comes with a high price tag... -NH]
• Como, Addabbo jockey for position (BY PETE DAVIS, Queens Courier)
• Newest Councilman Gets a Free Pass (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied (Henry J. Stern, Huffington Post)
• Charter Commission Approves Term Limits Question (Gotham Gazette/Wonkster)

LAST WORD

• Public yawns while press freaks out over mosque story (Eric Boehlert, Media Matters) I’d sure like to know the last news story that was “trumping all,” as NBC’s Gregory put it, and nearly half of America’s independent voters didn’t even know what the story was.

Can you vote???? Tonight at 6:45pm EST

From what I understand, you have 15 minutes to go vote in Virginia if you are an independent (or any!!!!!) voter. INDEPENDENTS GO VOTE!

Maryland: If you are an independent voter in Maryland, you can NOT vote in the primary...

If you are an independent voter in the District of Columbia, you can NOT vote in the primary...

Can independents vote today in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC?

Can you vote today?

According to FairVote, here's the scoop on open and closed primaries:

Washington D.C. (District of Columbia): Only voters registered with the Democratic, Republican, D.C. Statehood Green or Umoja parties can vote in their party's primary. INDEPENDENTS NOT ALLOWED TODAY.

Maryland: Parties can choose to open primaries but both Democrats and Republicans have chosen not to. If a voter does not choose a party, he or she will be recorded as “unaffiliated” and is permitted to vote in any nonpartisan primary in his or her local jurisdiction. INDEPENDENTS NOT ALLOWED TODAY.

Virginia: Parties may choose to nominate by convention rather than by primary election. According to the Virginian Pilot in Hampton Roads, "The primary is open to all registered voters, but each voter can only participate in either the Republican or the Democratic primary." INDEPENDENTS -- YES WE CAN!

More Potomac Primary buzz: independents and African Americans will make the difference

From Forbes Trailwatch:
Key to Virginia’s primary: the state’s independent voters, who account for nearly a third of all registered voters, and a group large enough to have a big impact in November. Also pay attention to John McCain’s rhetoric in the Old Dominion tomorrow; the maverick will be doing his best to appeal to centrist independents without alienating the traditional conservative base of his party.

In Maryland, Obama has an even larger lead in the polls: 55% to Clinton’s 33%. Obama can also expect a win in the District of Columbia thanks in large part to the district’s sizeable African-American population. This group propelled Obama to victory in South Carolina. As his campaign has gained traction, African-Americans have shifted even more support towards the Illinois Senator. His expected sweep of the Potomac primaries should be enough to give Obama the lead in pledged delegates.......

Potomac Primary: Obama leading Hillary in polls

Independents will be allowed to vote with either party in Virginia's primary. That could be a boon for Obama, who has scored well among independent voters in previous open primaries.
(Obama favored in Potomac primaries, LA Times)

Obama, who has trailed Clinton in every USA TODAY poll over the past year, edged ahead by 47%-44% — within the survey's margin of error..... Among Republicans, McCain has consolidated his front-runner status, leading former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee 53%-27% among Republicans and independents who "lean" Republican.

Maryland holds a closed primary, meaning you have to vote in the party you're affiliated with. But, in Virginia, it's an open primary, meaning you can vote in either party, but not both. (WMDT)

As former governor Doug Wilder wrote in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, "Virginia is neither a red state nor a blue state. Its citizens are too independent-minded. Having been elected first lieutenant governor and then governor some years ago as a Democrat here, I can tell you that voter support depends more on a particular candidate than it does on party affiliation." (Washington Post)

"Well, let me tell you something: I'm skinny, but I'm tough, too. I'm looking forward to mixing it up with John McCain," Obama said the day before voters in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., would have a chance to vote in the presidential primary. (US News & World Report)

NOTE: 17% of DC voters are independent; Virginia has nonpartisan registration; 16% of Maryland voters are unaffiliated.