Posted on 04/19/2016 9:57:52 AM PDT by McGruff
It’s wrong that independents are unable to vote in New York’s primary, Bernie Sanders said Tuesday.
“I’m trying to do everything I can to get my vote casted for him,” a male supporter told reporters in New York while gesturing toward Sanders. “I can sign a court order and an affidavit and whatever I need to do, and I’m going to do that, but it shouldn’t be this hard to vote.”
“No, it should not be,” Sanders replied. “Today, 3 million people in the state of New York who are independents have lost their right to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. That’s wrong.”
According to voter enrollment data from the New York State Board of Elections, there were 475,566 registered independents across the state as of April 1. More than 3 million voters, however, are registered outside of the Republican and Democratic parties, barring them from voting in the state’s closed primary.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Closed primaries are not necessarily wrong.
On the positive side, they confine the decision about nominee to those who are a member of the party.
On the negative side, they don’t allow a huge bloc of people, independents and/or crossovers, to show their support for a candidate.
Don’t have this problem in Colorado. Wyoming. Nebraska.
They do, don’t they? A caucus/convention is not ever open is it?
That means they wouldn’t be able to gauge support among independent voters.
Here in New Mexico it keeps half of the population from voting in the primary. I know because I am an Independent and cannot vote. Even our state constitution says all legal residents are able to vote in the primaries but the Dims and Repugs have rigged the primary elections to keep the Independents out.
The primaries aren’t really closed if you have to register early enough.
The parties are private organizations, but the states permit them to use their election infrastructure. If a PO wants to have a closed primary, then more power to them.
However, the taxpayers should have a separate ‘independent’ ballot whereon all candidates appear that they, too, can cast. JMHO.
They knew they were giving up that ability when they became independents.
Open primaries allow the opposing party to manipulate your results. I think all primaries should be closed.
I’m not sure i understand what is seen as an advantage with an open primary.
On the positive side - They prevent your opposition from crossing over to help select the person in your party they want their candidate to run against.
If you want to vote in the Democrat Primary, register as a Democrat. If you want to vote in the Republican Primary, register as a Republican. Otherwise, STFU.
Gee that Sanders fellow sure has become aggressive the past week or 2.
One of the few advantages of belonging to a political party is that you get to participate in the party’s decisions to choose their nominee. Anyone can join a political party, and you can usually do it often in any given year.
Politicians might prefer open primaries and may encourage Independents, but open primaries usually do not favor the ordinary voter.
He should move to Illinois where you can vote even after you’re dead or Philadelphia where they will vote for you.
It was never seen as an advantage to conservatives before this election, but for some reason open primaries are now a good thing because they help one candidate here
No brains at all; some of them.
Just bits of gray fluff, blown in by mistake.
good idea. I’ve been registered ind for 40 years here in NY and have never once voted in a primary.
On the positive side - They prevent your opposition from crossing over to help select the person in your party they want their candidate to run against.
This is the MOST important reason. All states should have closed primaries.
““I’m trying to do everything I can to get my vote casted for him,” a male supporter told reporters in New York while gesturing toward Sanders. “I can sign a court order and an affidavit and whatever I need to do, and I’m going to do that, but it shouldn’t be this hard to vote.””
In this instance, I’m on-board with closed primaries. If this bunghole wants to vote for Bernie ( who at the moment claims to be a RAT) he should have registered RAT so he could vote for him, the lazy SOB!
I would think millions of New Yorkers could not define “closed primary”. But they know Mrs. Bill when they see her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.