Talk Elections

General Politics => Political Debate => Topic started by: greenforest32 on February 09, 2012, 04:52:02 AM



Title: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: greenforest32 on February 09, 2012, 04:52:02 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election#Types

Quote
    Closed primary. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent, the term "non-partisan" often replaces "independent" when referring to those who are not affiliated with a political party.

    Semi-closed. As in closed primaries, registered party members can vote only in their own party's primary. Semi-closed systems, however, allow unaffiliated voters to participate as well. Depending on the state, independents either make their choice of party primary privately, inside the voting booth, or publicly, by registering with any party on Election Day.

    Open primary. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary, it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she wishes to vote in on election day. Because of the open nature of this system, a practice known as raiding may occur. Raiding consists of voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party, effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate. The theory is that opposing party members vote for the weakest candidate of the opposite party in order to give their own party the advantage in the general election. An example of this can be seen in the 1998 Vermont senatorial primary with the nomination of Fred Tuttle as the Republican candidate in the general election.

    Semi-open. A registered voter need not publicly declare which political party's primary that they will vote in before entering the voting booth. When voters identify themselves to the election officials, they must request a party's specific ballot. Only one ballot is cast by each voter. In many states with semi-open primaries, election officials or poll workers from their respective parties record each voter's choice of party and provide access to this information. The primary difference between a semi-open and open primary system is the use of a party-specific ballot. In a semi-open primary, a public declaration in front of the election judges is made and a party-specific ballot given to the voter to cast. Certain states that use the open-primary format may print a single ballot and the voter must choose on the ballot itself which political party's candidates they will select for a contested office.

    Run-off. A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to one party and the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. (A run-off differs from a primary in that a second round is only needed if no candidate attains a majority in the first round.)


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Napoleon on February 09, 2012, 04:55:31 AM
Closed, but for political reasons it might be wiser to have semi-closed primaries in less Democratic states.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Хahar 🤔 on February 09, 2012, 05:05:48 AM
Closed (with electoral fusion)


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: tpfkaw on February 09, 2012, 11:33:09 AM
Go back to choosing delegates at the state convention! :)


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: angus on February 09, 2012, 02:52:29 PM
I like non-partisan, nationwide, one-day voting.  24-hour polling stations.  No absentee ballots; no early ballots.  Top two advance.  Four weeks later one nationwide runoff.  No electoral college.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Vote UKIP! on February 25, 2012, 07:38:22 PM
As a guy from a state that has run-offs, I generally think they are a bad idea. They cost way too much. In my congressional district, we had five elections for the same seat (special election, run-off, primary, run-off, general). And with crowded primaries almost every tine, it just racks up more cost for the state.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Tidewater_Wave on March 04, 2012, 12:17:35 AM
Leave it up to the states as far as who can vote but I support only Republicans voting in their primary and Democrats voting in their primary. Adopt the Ohio plan having a series of 6 election dates which would have 3 dates of large states rotating each primary.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Beet on March 04, 2012, 12:26:09 AM
I like non-partisan, nationwide, one-day voting.  24-hour polling stations.  No absentee ballots; no early ballots.  Top two advance.  Four weeks later one nationwide runoff.  No electoral college.

I can get behind this.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Filuwaúrdjan on March 04, 2012, 05:46:16 AM
They should be scrapped.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: minionofmidas on March 04, 2012, 09:32:17 AM
Scrap primaries. Have an IRV vote between all contenders on election day.

And yes, that includes for President. >:D


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Yelnoc on March 04, 2012, 01:13:06 PM
Closed when the parties pay for all expenses of the primary.  Open when taxpayer money is involved.


Title: Re: How should primary elections be structured?
Post by: Bacon King on March 12, 2012, 06:07:01 PM
I like non-partisan, nationwide, one-day voting.  24-hour polling stations.  No absentee ballots; no early ballots.  Top two advance.  Four weeks later one nationwide runoff.  No electoral college.

This is somewhat reasonable, however absent any serious campaign finance reform having a single nationwide primary day would construe things horribly in favor of monied candidates. For all its flaws, one thing I like about the current primary system is that the tempered pace allows candidates who don't get big donations to still be able to compete (to some extent, anyway).

Scrap primaries. Have an IRV vote between all contenders on election day.

And yes, that includes for President. >:D

This is my ideal preference.

Closed when the parties pay for all expenses of the primary.  Open when taxpayer money is involved.

This is sensible if we're maintaining the status quo.