Daily Kos has this interesting and fair article about California’s election system. Equally interesting are the comments.
Comments
Daily Kos Article on California Top-Two Open Primary — No Comments
Singiser’s commentary is pretty sober. His idea about a modification that would allot the two slots for general elect to the top two but not from the same party would essentially have some or many voters helping to determine basically would be the nominee of that party, not a lot different from what WA had before it entered the top-two as it was ruled not so constitutional.
The worst thing about this top-two system besides the awful turnout, the “real” spoiler candidacies that help the other manipulative candidate in the race (as opposed to the alleged spoiler candidacies of alternative [parties with the alternative programs) and besides again its benefit to incumbents who already have so many electoral benefits, and besides the new opportunity for money to have an impact not previously so opportune, besides all that, its the division it has created, is creating, will create between voters who want genuine, bonafide alternatives and those who want a way to more easily affiliate themselves with electoral winners and spew centerist pap.
The San Diego mayoral election had nothing to do with Top 2 other than it was held on the same day, and Nathan Fletcher changed his party registration a few months before the election.
Around 10-15% of votes were by NPP voters, wist a majority not asking for Democratic or AIP ballots, at least based on the counties where turnout by party was reported.
Singiser’s commentary is pretty sober. His idea about a modification that would allot the two slots for general elect to the top two but not from the same party would essentially have some or many voters helping to determine basically would be the nominee of that party, not a lot different from what WA had before it entered the top-two as it was ruled not so constitutional.
The worst thing about this top-two system besides the awful turnout, the “real” spoiler candidacies that help the other manipulative candidate in the race (as opposed to the alleged spoiler candidacies of alternative [parties with the alternative programs) and besides again its benefit to incumbents who already have so many electoral benefits, and besides the new opportunity for money to have an impact not previously so opportune, besides all that, its the division it has created, is creating, will create between voters who want genuine, bonafide alternatives and those who want a way to more easily affiliate themselves with electoral winners and spew centerist pap.
NO primaries are needed or wanted.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
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A couple of erroneous items in the Kos article:
The San Diego mayoral election had nothing to do with Top 2 other than it was held on the same day, and Nathan Fletcher changed his party registration a few months before the election.
Around 10-15% of votes were by NPP voters, wist a majority not asking for Democratic or AIP ballots, at least based on the counties where turnout by party was reported.