Florida Supreme Court Rejects Both Parties - Clears Path For Primary Election Overhaul

image
Jeff PowersJeff Powers
Published: 20 Mar, 2020
1 min read

Tallahassee, FL - In a stunning rebuke of the Repunlican and Democratic parties and Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Florida Supreme Court cleared the way for voters to decide whether to overhaul the state’s primary-election system

The ruling will be on the November 2020 ballot so voters can decide whether to replace Florida's closed primary system with a nonpartisan top two system for state offices.  

In a 4-1 decision, justices approved the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow registered voters to cast ballots in primary elections regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates getting the most votes in each primary would advance to the general election.

Chief Justice Charles Canady and justices Ricky Polston, Jorge Labarga and Alan Lawson:  “The ballot summary clearly and unambiguously explains the chief purpose of the initiative, which is to allow all registered voters to vote in primary elections in Florida for state Legislature, governor and Cabinet. Further, the ballot summary explains the details of this change in the primary election process by outlining that if the initiative passes, all candidates for an office will appear on the same primary ballot, and the two highest vote getters will advance to the general election.”

The Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Democratic Party united in court to try to block the proposed amendment.

All Voters Vote has cleared all hurdles and will be on the ballot this November.  

The proposal will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 3.

You Might Also Like

Woman walking away with a I voted sticker on.
Hey New York Times, Your Party Voter Registration Story is Pretty Bad
The press has a problem with independent voters. Specifically, the historic growth seen in independe...
20 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read
Redistricting fight.
The 10 Worst Gerrymandered States in the Country
Monday marked another escalation in the mid-cycle redistricting fight between Republicans in Texas and Democrats in California – with one in another special session to add 5 more GOP seats, and the other maneuvering to counter this with 5 new Democratic seats....
18 Aug, 2025
-
7 min read