Michigan doesn’t have an open primary as it is commonly understood. When you show up to a primary, they ask you what party you want a ballot for. If you say Republican, congratulations you’ve become a registered republican. Vice versa. However, if you are say, an elected Republican or a Republican party official, likely you will be challenged if you try to get a Democratic ballot and could be pursued if you actually succeeded.
However, I do not think he is going after the individual cases. He’s going after Kos for telling Democrats to vote as Republicans when they have no intention to change parties. Since Michigan law is written the way it is, he argues (and cites the laws accordingly) Kos can be prosecuted.
Ah, thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering about that. This will be the first time I have voted in a primary in Michigan, so I didn’t know what to expect.
No. This is not like where out-of-staters come into New Hampshire and “register” while stating their intent to remain in state. There is no requirement that someone remain “registered” in one party or another after they vote in the primary. In Michigan, regardless, in order to register, you must have been a resident during the 30 days prior to the election in question.
sr
“He’s going after Kos for telling Democrats to vote as Republicans when they have no intention to change parties.”
Free speech - he can say what he wants, but that doesn’t “force” anyone to do that. The only way to tell if a voter was, in his/her mind, acually a Democrat, would be to crack open his/her skull and take out brain material to see if it had “Democrat” written on it. In other words, what a person thinks in his/her mind cannot be determined, therefore no illegal act can be proven when the voter votes. An elected party official, such as a chairman or a precinct chair, IS of a certain party, but I don’t think any of those would want to switch parties at a primary election.