Michigan Democrats haven’t held a meaningful Presidential Primary since 1992, because Michigan law requires an open primary in which the voter decides in the secrecy of the voting booth which party’s primary to vote in. This type of primary violates national Democratic Party rules.
Legislative leaders from both major parties have agreed to pass a bill early in 2007, amending the presidential primary law. If the proposed bill passes, the new Michigan presidential primary will require voters to choose which party’s primary they wish to vote in. The parties will be permitted to retain this list, but it will not otherwise be a public record.
This list is not the same as having any voter register as a member of any party. Michigan has never placed a question about party membership on voter registration forms, and no one is suggesting that idea.
A bill to make this change failed to pass in the 2006 legislature, and that legislature has now adjourned, but the 2007 bill is considered almost certain to pass.
Will voters be required to register with a party, or will we just have to declare a choice at the polls in order to get the correct ballot? I hope it’s the latter; I’ve always decided which section to vote in based on which races I felt were most competitive or important.
However it’s done, I imagine this will reduce the number of spoiled ballots. I’m sure that in the past, many people have voted in both party sections.