The Independent View: Primary Election Systems Face Scrutiny

As an activist for Open Primaries with a Single Ballot and Self Paid Party Selection processes, here are three Editorial Boards from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Utah sound off on these issues.

Mansfield News Journal: "Today's political climate does not allow moderates to emerge from the candidate selection process. If we believe that real work gets done in the middle, with collaboration from both sides of the political spectrum, how do we change the primary election process. One solution would be a national non-partisan primary election...This approach would require candidates to appeal to both sides of the two-party political spectrum in order to gain enough votes to be successful. Moderates would most likely emerge from this process, increasing the chances for a more collaborative approach to problem solving."

York Daily Record: "[Independents] stood with their noses pressed to the window, watching as Republicans and Democrats picked their elected officials for them...The commonwealth is among the 25 states that have closed primaries, meaning that only affiliated voters can cast ballots in those elections, except in the case of referendums. Pennsylvania also allows candidates to cross-file in judicial and school board elections. The combination means that voters who choose not to belong to either major party are effectively disenfranchised...The best way to serve democracy would be to allow all voters to vote in all elections, to make it easier for voters to have their say, rather than make it more difficult or discouraging."

Daily Herald: "Political parties should be left entirely on their own when it comes to selecting who will represent them on an election ballot. They are private organizations; their goals are purely partisan. As such, they shouldn't be taking taxpayer dollars...A party might opt for voting on the Internet (it is the 21st century, after all). This would show voters that it is open new ideas and efficiencies. Internet primaries would be no more difficult to achieve than it is to make a credit card purchase online...It's time to place the costs of partisan primaries back in the laps of the partisans and save money for the taxpayers of Utah."