Pandemic Elicits Surge to Save A Democratic Process Already in Crisis

A Presidential Primary for Independents in 2020?

April 11, 2019

Shawn Griffiths

It is no secret that both parties control the presidential nomination process.

But what is less-known is that taxpayers, not the parties, fund the primary election.

So, why wouldn’t every voter, regardless of party, get to participate?

That’s why the Independent Voter Project (IVP) responded to another partisan “solution” this week to California’s confusing (and taxpayer funded) semi-closed presidential primary, which would continue to shortchange over 5.6 million independent voters.

Instead, IVP calls for a simple, nonpartisan solution: a public presidential primary ballot that would allow any voter, regardless of party, to vote for any candidate.

Bottom Line: Let the parties keep their own ballots. Let the parties exclude or include whoever they want. Let the parties decide their own rules of nomination.

BUT, give every voter their fundamental right to participate at every stage of the taxpayer-funded public election process.

The question is: Will state politicians step up this time to defend everyone’s voting rights? Stay tuned for more updates on this big issue.

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