Chad PeaceThe Democratic Party is currently challenging the open primary system in Hawaii. Although Hawaii's primary system is funded by all taxpayers, the Democratic Party is asking the court to close the primary, thereby preventing voters not affiliated with the major parties from being allowed to participate.On Thursday, the
Committee for a United Independent Party (CUIP), along with attorney's from the EndPartisanship.org coalition, filed an amicus brief that was accepted by the court over an attempt by the Democratic Party to prevent its submission:
"In a State where the winner of the Democratic Party primary almost invariably goes on to be elected to public office in November, to be barred from participating in the party's primary elections is to be denied the right to the full franchise guaranteed by the Hawaii Constitution. Such voters are left without the ability to influence the election’s outcome...
Discontent with the performance of our country’s party-driven political process has reached alarming levels…
Each of the two major parties works to convince the public that the source of this dismal performance is the other party. The parties and their consultants have turned our elections into cut-throat partisan competition, rather than a conversation about what is best for the country. Our party-based election laws contribute to this."
Read the Motion:
Read the Amicus: