Nonpartisan news and updates on legislative, legal, and grassroots efforts to open primary elections nationwide.
It is no secret that both parties control the presidential nomination process.
But what is less-known is that taxpayers, not the parties, fund the primary election.
So, why wouldn’t every voter, regardless of party, get to participate?
The 2016 presidential primaries in California didn’t go smoothly. The election was marred by widespread confusion and frustration as millions of voters had to navigate a complex and restrictive semi-closed primary process. As a result, they were completely disenfranchised by the process.
By all accounts New Mexico would seem to be a strong candidate for reform of their primary elections. At least that’s what we thought when we started working with local activists to build support there three years ago.
One of only nine states with completely closed primaries, New Mexico has seen rapid growth in the number of registered independent voters. In 2000, 15% of voters were not registered with either major party. Today, that number is 25% or approximately 300,000 people.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla published the latest voter registration numbers on Monday, March 11. Secretary Padilla touted record-setting registration of over 20 million people, nearly 30% of which are registered No Party Preference (i.e. independent).
The latest registration numbers, dated for February 10, show that NPP voters now comprise 28.26% of the registered voting population, an increase of 226,058 voters from the last registration report dated October 22, 2018.
I’ve been practicing law for almost 50 years. And I am still surprised when a court lets you know that the road you want to take is blocked. You may have the best arguments in the world, your client’s cause may be just, but you aren’t going to get there.
All Voters Vote (AVV) launched an initiative to allow all voters access to taxpayer-funded primary elections in Florida. State law currently bars approximately 3.5 million registered voters from participating in what is often the most crucial stage of the election process because they refuse to register with a party.
The group is submitting two petitions for review:
Last week, I joined a conference call with a dozen independent voter activists from around the country – all cabinet members of the “Eyes on 2020” campaign sponsored by Independent Voting, who are making a simple demand: Independents want full access to every stage of the 2020 presidential election process in every state.
As a business owner and lifelong resident of Michigan, I am proud to have stood with so many of my fellow citizens soliciting signatures for days and weeks on end to get the “Nonpartisan Redistricting” and “Promote the Vote” initiatives on the ballot and successfully passed in the 2018 midterm election. They were a big win for Michigan democracy and important steps on a journey to a more representative government.
Yet, there remains a large obstruction in our path to achieving a healthy, functioning government in Michigan.
The 2020 presidential field is already taking shape. Nine Democrats have announced their campaigns since December, many of whose announcements went under the radar because the lack of media coverage:
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - It’s simple math. The Kavanaugh confirmation has calcified partisan voters like no event in recent history.
The result? It’s all up to California’s second-largest group of voters, over 5 million NPPs. (NPP stands for “No Party Preference.”) These are voters who are saying “No to Partisan Politics” by registering independent.