Washington state on November 2, 2010, will have one statewide race on the ballot, U.S. Senate. This SurveyUSA poll shows that in the August “top-two” primary, the first and second finishers will be incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray, and Republican Dino Rossi.
Fifteen candidates are on the August top-two primary. SurveyUSA pollsters read the entire list to poll respondents. The results: Murray 37%, Rossi 33%, all thirteen other candidates 11% (combined), and 19% undecided.
The four candidates who have labels other than “I prefer the Democratic Party” or “I prefer the Republican Party” do poorly. Mercer and Leonard, the two candidates with “no party preference” each have 0%. Baker, whose ballot label is “I prefer the Reform Party” is also at 0%. Said, whose label is “I prefer the Centrist Party” is at 1%.
These results confirm the predictions of top-two opponents, that the top-two system, for statewide office, inevitably produces a general election ballot with one Democrat, one Republican, and no one else. Furthermore, Washington state this year won’t be producing a Voters Pamphlet for the August primary. Washington state will produce a Voters Pamphlet for the November election, containing candidate statements. So non-mainstream candidates will not only be shut out of the general election campaign, their campaigns between now and the August primary will be handicapped by the absence of a Voters Pamphlet.
Where is the constitutional language REQUIRING partisan nominations by X percent of ALL voters ???
P.R. and App.V = ONE election = save taxpayers cash for something useful — other than primaries.
It’s not about partisan nominations or parties, it’s about voter choice in the congressional election, which Congress says is in November.
The only primary that Washington has ever produced an voters pamphlet for was in 2008. The legislature did not appropriate funds for one this year. Your wording may have give the inaccurate impression that somehow the Top 2 Open Primary caused the voters pamphlet to be cancelled. The Secretary of State, Sam Reed did collect the information, and an online version is available here:
http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/PreviousElections/2010/primary/Pages/OVG_20100817.aspx
Some counties, including King and Pierce include legislative candidates in their printed version as well.
There is a huge difference between the Secretary of State postally mailing every registered voter a Pamphlet, and making such a pamphlet available on the internet.
In 2004, the Libertarian and Green party candidates received about 1% each in the senate race. That was the year of the infamous Pick-A-Party primary where 12% of voters did not pick a gubernatorial nominee.
There were Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian primaries. The winner of the Libertarian primary received fewer votes than 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats (7th place overall).
What part of the nearly dead U.S.A. Constitution says that there MUST be 3 or more choices for any office on general election ballots ???
Washington has only distributed a Voter’s Pamphlet before the primary one time.
While your statement:
Furthermore, Washington state this year won’t be producing a Voters Pamphlet for the August primary.
Is technically accurate, it is misleading.
Does the following link work?
http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/PreviousElections/2010/primary/Pages/OVG_20100817.aspx
The State/local regimes are spending about 15 percent of the GDP.
Having elections is one the very few things that such regimes MUST do.
How EVIL corrupt are the EVIL party hack gerrymander incumbents in not having paper voter guides for ALL elections ???
Does ALL spending by regimes *stimulate* the economy ?
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