Arkansas has always had open primaries since primaries first began early in the 20th century. However, on June 8, 2024, the state Republican convention voted to close Republican primaries, so that only registered Republicans can vote. However, the state chair and the state executive committee of the Republican Party then took the position that the convention action is void, because proper notice hadn’t been given in advance of the convention about that vote.
On August 26, some Republican state convention delegates sued the party’s State Chair and State Executive Committee in federal court, to force those officers to accept the decision of the state convention. The lawsuit also sues the Secretary of State. Lancaster v Thurston, e.d., 2:24cv-161.
Here is the Complaint, which attaches the party rules to establish that the state convention is the ultimate authority in party governance.
I never understood support for open elections (or semi-closed elections) in the first place. After all, surely it should be exclusively the members of a party who decide which candidate will represent their party in the election? And it isn’t exactly difficult to change ones party registration in most states, should you desperately want a say in that process. But I also don’t have sufficiently strong feelings on the matter to agonize about it much.
@Nuña,
Why should Arkansas (or any other State) maintain records of the political beliefs of its citizens, or regulate or subsidize their political activities?
Party registration is not really a record of political beliefs though. I can register as a Democrat to try and influence the Democratic primary, but that doesn’t mean I share any of the party’s values. It just makes me put in the effort of registering to vote in the Democratic primaries.
As a privacy concern, party registration records could be purged every cycle, or better yet every year.
But why even have political parties at all, if people registered not registered with a party get to influence that party’s elections?
And the government shouldn’t be subsidizing any party or candidate’s activities.