CalMatters has this commentary that suggests the only alternative to top-two is a closed primary. And the Independent Voters News has this similar commentary. Both ran in the last two days.
But California is free to pass a simple law that says independent voters can vote in the primary of their choice. Other states with similar laws are Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. There are other alternatives as well.
That’s still a closed primary for anyone who wants to vote for primary candidates of different parties in different races or for someone who wants to register with a party for internal governance reasons.
At least he advocates for the primary to use RCV as well. Though at that point just have one round.
Rcv = rotten communist vomit
RCV is communist.
Didn’t the law in California before Top Two Primary was passed allow people who were registered to vote as non-partisan chose which party’s primary ballot they got; or was it up to each political party as to whether or not they wanted to allow non-partisan voters to vote in their primary?
How about making elections simpler rather than more complicated?
How about Top One? Donald Trump is the One!
Relax and don’t worry, it’s going to be fine. The White People’s movement keeps getting bigger all the time. I’m dreaming of a White nation, just like the ones that I once knew. And now with mass deportation, my dream is starting to come true!
Andy, in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010, both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party let independent voters vote in their non-presidential primaries. There was a great deal of misinformation about this. Part of the confusion is that the Republican Party didn’t let independents vote in their presidential primaries (except in 2004 they did allow that, but there was only one name on the ballot).
In the years 1998 and 2000, California had a blanket primary.
The terms “open primary” “closed primary” “semi-closed primary” “blanket primary” are all defined in political science textbooks and US Supreme Court opinions. The US Supreme Court referred to the Washington state top-two primary as an “I-872 primary”.
Political “science” is a fraud.
California should move the primary to October, and use paper ballots such are used in France where there is a 3×5 paper ballot for each candidate. One one side of the ballot paper is the candidate’s name. On the other side the candidate can have pictures, endorsements, platforms, slogans, etc., printed in monochrome. The voter takes one or more into the voting booth and places one in an envelope which is then placed in the ballot box.
At the end of voting, the ballot papers are pulled from the envelopes, put into stacks and hand counted.
If a candidate receives a majority of the votes they are elected. Otherwise all candidates with 12.5% of the vote or more advance to a runoff. Other candidates may aggregate their votes to advance other candidates. Candidates may withdraw. The runoff will be decided by plurality.
*Pending a change in federal law, all congressional candidates receiving 12.5% or more of the vote advance to a runoff, even if a candidate receives a majority of the vote.
Jim, are you talking about French presidential elections, or legislative elections?
Nobody gives a shit about France.
Why waste paper and require voters to learn the increasingly esoteric mastery of casting spells (spelling), which is on track to become as rare as it was in medieval times before the end of this century? Voting should require none of that.
@RW,
The same voting system is used for both elections. France uses Top 2 for presidential elections. They should switch to the threshold method for presidential elections.
Aren’t the French known for being effeminate surrender monkeys? Why would we want to emulate them?
@RW,
The SCOTUS opinion in ‘Foster v. Love’ refers to the system used in Louisiana as an Open Primary.
As we all know, the Supreme Court always gets everything right. Right?
France does not use top-two for presidential elections. In France the first round is the election, and someone who gets 50% is elected. There is a runoff if no one gets 50%.
That would be an improvement over two mandatory rounds.
@RW,
There has never been a one-round popular presidential election in France under the 5th Republic (the 1958 election used an electoral college).
Both presidential and parliamentary elections can be won in the first (i.e., primary) round, though they rarely are.
As long as the possibility exists, that’s what matters.