The Independent View: How a Blanket Primary Works

I have been an advocate of allowing all voters to take part in their state's primary system. I am opposed to the closed system we have in New York. It amounts to taxation without representation. Our taxes are being used to run the primary system, but the 2,249,506 voters registered in no party can not take part in the political process.

I have been interested in the top-two system implemented in California and have reviewed the many state plans being discussed in state legislatures. But I think a better option is the blanket primary.

In a blanket primary, voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines; for instance, a voter might select a Democratic candidate for governor and a Republican candidate for senator. The candidates with the highest votes by party for each office advance to the general election, as the respective party's nominee. A blanket primary gives registered voters maximum choice in selecting candidates.

One state, Alaska, comes close to my ideal system, but is not there yet. Their modified blanket primary was configured to satisfy Supreme Court decisions about the rights of association of parties.

They have two types of primary ballots:

- The Blanket Ballot of qualified parties: Alaska Democratic Party, the Alaska Libertarian Party and the Alaskan Independence Party agreed to be on a combined party ballot available to all registered voters. This ballot was referred to as the Alaskan Independence, Alaska Democratic and Alaska Libertarian (A-D-L) Candidate and Ballot Measures ballot.

- The Republican Party chose to have only Republican candidates on its Primary ballot, and ONLY those voters registered Republican, but also allowed nonpartisan and undeclared access to the Republican ballot. This ballot was referred to as the Republican Candidate and Ballot Measures ballot.

In their election system, write-ins are allowed on the General Election ballot.

In 2012, the U.S. Representative race had 5 Democrats and 1 Libertarian on the Blanket Primary ballot and 3 Republicans on the Republican ballot. So in the General, there was a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and a Non-Affiliated who collected the necessary signatures to get on the General ballot.

We are almost there. When 271,866 independent (nonpartisan + undeclared) registered voters out of 513,880 registered voters could only vote in the Republican Primary, is not as open as I want.

So how do we get all registered voters in the country take part in the political process and get by the right of association?

Let me know your thoughts on this issue.