The Let Us Vote campaign released two citizen spotlight videos that focus not only on the need for primary election systems that treat independent voters equally, but why it is important in a state like South Dakota.
South Dakota State Representative Kadyn Wittman and Marine Corps veteran Bill Stocker come from different backgrounds. Wittman is a registered Democrat. Stocker is a registered Republican.
But they both agree that elections should treat all voters equally, and better represent independent-minded voters who do not want to be limited to candidates of a single party.
South Dakota State Representative Kadyn Wittman
"Having closed primaries disenfranchises independent voters. I believe that individuals who choose to register as independent have just as much of a say in the primaries as someone who is registered Republican or Democrat. By excluding them from certain primaries, we're really stripping them of having a voice and a choice in who is going to represent them in the future."
Bill Stocker, Marine Corps veteran
"You have people blindly following whatever the Republican platform is or whatever the Democratic platform is. They follow it like it's a cult. I'm an independent thinker. I'm going to think for myself, I'm going to decide for myself. I'm not automatically going to check that [box] because there's an R besides someone's name."
Stocker's story is similar to many veterans. Even if they are registered with the Republican or Democratic Party, half of the veteran community identifies as independent-minded.
The Let Us Vote campaign launched in February. It is a nationwide initiative spearheaded by Open Primaries, in partnership with Unite America, to mobilize and empower independent voters.
Gallup found for the first time in June that a majority of Americans now identify as independent. Yet, millions of voters are denied complete access to taxpayer-funded elections because of closed primary processes.
South Dakota voters will have an opportunity this November to move away from a closed partisan primary system that denies more than 150,000 independent voters an equal and meaningful say in elections.
This does not count the voters who are registered with a political party just so they can vote in the primaries.
South Dakota Open Primaries submitted 47,000 signatures to put a nonpartisan Top Two initiative on the ballot, which would adopt primary elections that allow all voters and candidates to participate on a single ballot.
It doesn't matter how voters are registered. Republicans, Democrats, independents, and third-party supporters are given a level playing field to choose the candidate they want to represent them.
The top two vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election.
In a one-party state like South Dakota, the reform can give substantial voting power to voters who feel like they have no voice because in order to win, many candidates will have to reach people outside their party's base.
Read more about the initiative here. South Dakota is one of seven jurisdictions (6 states and the District of Columbia) that will (or likely will) have an open or nonpartisan initiative on the November ballot.
