Montana voter registration forms have never asked voters to choose a political party. This year, two very dissimilar bills to create registration by party are pending.
Senator Jose Balyeat (R-Bozeman) has introduced SB 186, for voluntary party affiliation on voter registration forms. If the bill passes, anyone who registers into a political party would then gain the ability to vote in presidential caucuses. Under existing law, the only Montana voters who can participate in presidential caucuses are party officials. The voluntary party affiliation, or lack of it, would have no effect on voting in primaries for office other than president.
HB 248, by Rep. Ken Peterson (R-Billings) would also provide for registration into parties, on voter registration forms. However, this bill would close party primaries, so that no one could vote in a primary unless registered in that party. The bill makes no provision for a party decision to allow independents to vote in its own primaries, and also seems to make no provision for voters to register into an unqualified party. The bill had a hearing in the House State Administration Committee on January 22. All witnesses who appeared, opposed the bill.
Both bills appear to be dead in the water. A lot of people were upset that they couldn’t vote for Ron Paul in the Republican caucuses. Only people elected to the local committees were allowed to vote. If Republicans are worried about being hijacked during the primaries, they should elect their candidates at their convention by their members. Then, this wouldn’t be an issue.
After its blanket primary was struck down by the federal courts, Washington state used the “open primary, private choice” system, which was referred to there as the “Montana system.”
I always wondered why they didn’t call it the “Idaho system,” since Idaho borders Washington and also uses “open primary, private choice.”
@Allen, I agree, but would go further and say that the “two major” halves of the Duopoly, should be required to select their candidates at their convention by their members; as all “minor parties” are required to do. Take the tax-payer funding out of the selection process for party nominees.
In Montana all parties are considered major, if the party continues to have ballot status. You only qualify for a statewide primary in that you have two people running for the same office. On a County level if a majority of the slots are filled then the clerk can declare a primary. This law was changed after two Reform party folks ran for the same legislative seat and prompted a primary ballot. The Reform Party only had about 6 candidates statewide costing taxpayers over 200,000 dollars.
#3: If all parties changed to nominating by convention instead of primary, grassroots voters would raise hell, since they would be excluded from the nominating process. In cases where all candidates for an office were from the same party, grassroots voters would be blocked from voting altogether.
Steve, are you implying that most grassroots voters are not a member of a political party? Most people would still be able to vote, but they may have to travel or vote by other means. Just as we vote by proxy on stock issues, we could manage the same type of thing by convention.
Most grassroots voters don’t want to vote by proxy. They want to continue to be able to directly nominate candidates– through party primaries.