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Open elections? Be careful, Montana
The Missoulian ^ | October 10, 2024 | John Lott

Posted on 10/10/2024 11:51:25 AM PDT by JohnRLott

Two constitutional initiatives to change how Montanans vote will be on the ballot in November, and both are deceptive. Two of them will help Democrats and ensure, ironically, despite supporters’ claims, that election winners are not likely to have a majority of the total votes cast.

Supporters sell CI-126 as giving voters more choices in primary elections. Montana is already an “open” primary state where voters can choose whether they want a Republican or Democrat ballot, but this initiative would allow people to vote for a Democrat in one race and then a Republican in another one. These are called “jungle primaries.”

But that isn’t the key aspect of this initiative. The important point is that each race’s top four vote-getters will make it to the general election. In a heavily Republican state such as Montana or Alaska, which adopted this rule in 2022, this reform will help the minority party.

In heavily Republican areas, you will be more likely to have three Republicans and one Democrat in the general election. If Republicans divide the vote among themselves, it may allow a Democrat to sneak through. It’s no coincidence that in 2022, heavily Republican Alaska elected its first Democrat to the U.S. Congress since the early 1970s. . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at missoulian.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections; US: Montana
KEYWORDS: cprc; johnlott; jungleprimary; montana; voting

1 posted on 10/10/2024 11:51:25 AM PDT by JohnRLott
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To: JohnRLott
In such a scenario, the top two vote candidates should be in a runoff, to see who gets the majority of votes, like they do in the south.

Hopefully these initiatives don't pass.

2 posted on 10/10/2024 12:04:13 PM PDT by DallasBiff (Apology not accepted.la is not the sharpest knife in the drawer)
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To: JohnRLott

Was wondering when someone would catch on to this.

Montana and Arizona have these kind of initiatives on the ballot. They’re both a recipe for Rat dominance.

If you have a party, no one but registered party members should be voting in your primary.

The Democrats didn’t even let Democrats vote for their current Presidential candidate.


3 posted on 10/10/2024 12:09:03 PM PDT by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: JohnRLott

CI-127 allows for a ranked choice election in the general election, this would eliminate the danger of a 3 way split among Republicans allowing a Democrat to win.


4 posted on 10/10/2024 1:07:37 PM PDT by JSM_Liberty
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To: JohnRLott
Exactly the same in Arizona. The dims are pushing Prop 140 that will californicate the state. Open primaries and ranked choice.

Prop 133 opposes that initiate. Arizona voters PAY ATTENTION!!

5 posted on 10/10/2024 1:32:44 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: JohnRLott

This never works for conservatives due basically to naivety or just plain old fashioned stupidity of so many conservative voters.

Liberals will NEVER vote for any conservative NO MATTER WHAT.

However often conservatives will vote for a liberal out of some kind of misguided notion “fairness”.


6 posted on 10/10/2024 2:15:19 PM PDT by Newtoidaho (All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.)
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To: JohnRLott

Don’t do it!

Virginia does and democrats use it to get a weak Republican as the nominee.


7 posted on 10/10/2024 3:28:56 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: JohnRLott

So called open elections lead to one party rule and closed elections. The USA ran with that experiment right after Washington retired and it almost lead to a Civil War, it did get Hamilton his just deserts.


8 posted on 10/10/2024 6:26:41 PM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again," )
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To: JSM_Liberty

Did you actually read the piece? It discusses the impact of CI-127.


9 posted on 10/10/2024 8:22:08 PM PDT by JohnRLott
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