Four bills have been introduced in the South Carolina legislature to switch the state from having open primaries, to either closed primaries or semi-closed primaries. The closed primary bills are H3310, S109, and S113. The bill for a semi-closed primary is H3396. All are pending in the Judiciary Committees of the house of introduction.
South Carolina has always had open primaries.
ANT SECESS MACHINATIONS PENDING IN SC — AS IN 1860-1861 ???
Insecticide!
What is this supposed to mean for U.S. citizens drowning in traffic because of the OVERLOADING OF BUILDING HERE?
I do not think we should have closed primaries, just another way to keep info from the people.
Open primaries allow Democrats to vote in Republican primaries. They vote for Graham since he votes their way most of the time. Graham wins and then in general election we only have him to.vote for. Closed primaries allow for other Republican candidates to have a better chance at beating Grahan.
I totally agree with Kathy, and for the same reasons: Open primaries allow Democrats to vote in Republican primaries. They vote for Graham since he votes their way most of the time. Graham wins and then in general election we only have him to vote for. Closed primaries allow for other Republican candidates to have a better chance at beating Graham! Graham is a rhino and
he should just declare himself a Democrat and change parties!
Any means to keep people from voting is a bad idea. I have voted in both primaries, but I have never voted for an incumbent Republican traitor.
Coming from a closed Primary state and being an election inspector, I really prefer each party selecting their candidate as I have watched too many RINOs going on to control of all levels of government. Because of the vitriol at the Fed level, I did not enroll when moved here but if this state goes closed, the next day will redo my registration to include my party affiliation.
David is right.
We should have an open primary like Louisiana where all candidates regardless of party affiliation run against each other in the primary which allows me as a voter to consider all candidates for office not just one party’s choices. Then, the top two or three have a run off in November.
SC needs closed primaries. Our RINO incumbents cut deals with Dems to vote for them in our open primaries to win elections…and then they are beholden to Dems to vote against true school choice, elimination of personal income taxes and elimination of DEI initiatives. Purple states are making these policy changes while we are supposed to be the most red state in the nation but cant get anything passed in our legislature.
Close the primaries so we can get Lindsey Graham out of office.Open primaries helps him stay in. He’s no good, and I don’t care that he’s gay, I just want him to vote conservative all the time.
Open primaries allow Republicans to vote in democratic primaries. Bad idea.
It doesn’t matter I don’t even know why this state is red but than again I do all the gerrymandering around here is stupid.
This state is messed up. Graham will say and do what ever Trump needs to make Project 2025 for filled. He doesn’t care about this state. But yet he stays in? The people of South Carolina who voted for the people who will not get him out are still in office????? I ask WHY ARE YALL BITCHING????
Project 2025 is awesome!
This is a dishonest ploy. It leaves the independent voter to choose sides. And furthermore, as has happened in the recent past, Democrats will change to whatever side they need, to upset an honest election. Keep our election too big to rig!
I came here from Ohio, which is a closed primary state. I was shocked when I learned that South Carolina allowed Democrats to vote in Republican primaries and vice versa. This allows people from one party to select a weak candidate or one who votes against the will of his/her own party to win the primary. Then, voters of the other party are stuck with a candidate they would have never voted for. Primaries should be for members of a party to vote for the candidate they want to represent them. Candidates should not be selected by their adversaries.
Standing count would solve this!
Totally against closed Primaries. The majority of voters in SC do NOT identify as a Democrat or Republican. They simply vote for the PERSON of choice. A LOT of voters get very aggravated when the poll manager ask them which party they want to vote in when voting in the Primary. I realize there are other states where people do identify more by Political Party but not in SC.
I wondered why Graham kept winning, didn’t know that so called democrats would cross over and vote republican to keep him in office. I only vote my party.
It should be up to the party.
I do not vote by party but by who I think will accomplish projects along my line of thinking. I do not want to be required to vote for a party in order to support the candidates I feel are the right one.
I vote by party.
No absolutely not! We the taxpayers deserve transparency!
It’s party business,government should have no say at all. The party should solely choose however they do it, pay for it, and administer it.
This a simple issue. Should Democrats have
a vote, in Republican primaries, picking Republican candidates?
Or the other way around. Should Republicans have a vote, in Democrat primaries, picking Democrat candidates?
I think any reasonable person would say, NO!
It’s a matter of whether a party gets to pick its own candidates or even gets to pick how they get picked.
From reading these comments, I get the impression that most of these folks don’t even know what a closed primary is. Let me explain. When a voter is declared to be in a party (republican or democrat), that person can only vote for a candidate in the same party as the voter is registered in. Verses a open primary where anybody can vote for anybody across party lines. Some folks use this opportunity to sabotage the candidate they do not like. I am in favor of closed primaries because it attempts to keep voters honest and election scammers out.
Closed or open or convention or whatever nomination method they want to use should be up to the party, and they should pay for and administer it.