Wyoming Representative Jim Blackburn (R-Cheyenne) has introduced HB 106, which would affect the timing of when voters can change parties. Currently voters can change their party registration as late as primary day itself. The bill would prevent voters from changing their registration after May 1 of election years.
HB 106 is somewhat similar to SF 32, which is also pending in this year’s legislative session.
These bills are motivated by a belief among many Republican leaders that Democrats, and independents who lean Democratic, changed to being registered Republicans last year in order to influence the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Richard,
Is there any legislation introduced/ever been introduced that you know of to REPEAL the primaries and/or at least make the participating parties PAY FOR them? Historically, when were primaries introduced to the USA. Guessing that the “progressives” were involved. Also, is Iowa the only state to hold caucuses? Thanks.
Official primaries — 1888-1890
Fed up with gang boss tyrants in caucuses and conventions.
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NO primaries.
PR and AppV
The *progressives* also produced the POWER of the Voters to vote on State const amdts and State laws
— to bypass the minority rule gerrymander robot HACKS.
Thus – current 18 of 50 States having VOTER petitions for State const amdts.
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PR and AppV
Jeff, in the past, in some southern states, parties always paid the election administration costs of primaries. And the parties charged very high candidate filing fees, to raise the money to pay for their primaries. But then in 1972, the US Supreme Court struck down mandatory filing fees. There were two cases, from Texas and then from California. After the Texas mandatory filing fees of up to $9,000 (in 1972 dollars!) were struck down, the legislatures of Texas and all the other similar states changed the financing, to have the taxpayers pay.
For choosing delegates to national conventions of the major parties, Iowa is not the only caucus state. There are usually about 8 or 9 caucus states every presidential election year.
Recent noises to end /reduce Prez caucuses in Iowa ??? —
since they are soooo UN-representative – esp in DEAD of Winter.
Parties should be able to decide for themselves whether and when voters can register as members. No need for a uniform rule for all parties.
Republicans hold a 4:1 registration advantage in registration.
Comparing the registration at the 2018 primary to the next regular report.
Democrats down 3.9%
Libertarians down 7.9%
Republicans up 4.5%
Unaffilated down 6.6%
Contitutionalists down 10.4%
Voters in the three minor parties and unaffiliated voters recognize that there registration was a mistake, and that they didn’t receive their T-shirt.
SF 86 would replace the exclusionary partisan primaries with an Open Primary.
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=103190
Iowa machinations.
@DR,
Early 20th century.
The political bosses had captured control of the Australian ballot, and the primary was intended to let voters decide. But political parties captured control of the primaries.
Requiring political parties to fund their own primaries was in part to maintain the argument that they were private events and that they could therefore exclude black voters.
Texas statute had set the filing fee for many offices, but required political parties to pay for their primaries with filing fees for other offices (or other means).
Primary candidates to this date pay the filing fee to their political parties, which is used as an offset to the state subsidy of the primary.
The 24th Amendment should be repealed. No representation without taxation.
Nominations by ALL Voters [top 2 primaries] or SOME Voters [standard primaries / caucus gangs].
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NO primaries / caucuses.
PR and AppV