South Carolina voter registration forms do not ask voters about party membership, and any voter is free to choose any party’s primary ballot. In the June 2018 primary, voters who choose a Republican primary ballot will be asked to vote on whether the state should ask about party membership on voter registration forms. South Carolina lets parties put advisory questions on their own primary ballots. See this story.
The Tennessee Republican Party is asking the state elections office to remove seven Republicans who filed to run in the Republican primary for U.S. Senator, and one for Governor. See this story. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.
The Maryland legislature adjourns on April 9, late at night. SB 256, the bill to require presidential candidates to reveal their income tax returns, is almost certain not to pass. Although it passed the Senate on March 5, and although it had a hearing in the House committee on March 20, it has made no further progress.
On April 8, Hungary held a parliamentary election. See this wikipedia article. Seven parties won at least one seat.
Colorado independent voters have never been able to vote in major party primaries, until 2018. This article presents evidence gathered by Magellin Strategies about how independent voters will act in Colorado primaries this year.
The standard academic vocabulary for the term “open primary” considers Colorado in 2018 to have a semi-closed primary, not an open primary. But the Colorado media does not conform to the standard academic word usage and says Colorado has an open primary. Actual open primary state do not have registration by party, and there are 19 actual open primary states. Colorado does have registration by party. A semi-closed primary is one in which independents can choose any party’s primary ballot, but members of parties are confined to their own party’s primary ballot.
