On August 6, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez says she would support a Democratic plan allowing voters without a party affiliation to cast ballots in New Mexico primary elections.
The Republican Party told the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday it's important for all voters to be allowed to participate in primaries.
New Mexico has for decades allowed only registered Republicans or Democrats to participate in their parties' respective primary elections.
Richard Winger of Ballot Access News reminds us:
These various public officials seem unaware that each of their parties already has the power to let independents vote in their primaries. In 1986 the U.S. Supreme Court said in Tashjian v Republican Party of Connecticut that if a party wants to invite independents to vote in its primary, that is a decision for the party, not the government. Nevertheless, it is obviously more orderly to have an election law statute setting forth how a party makes this decision, and also setting forth deadlines to make such a decision.
The bill would be put on the 2015 calendar. Given the Governor’s support, assuming she is re-elected this year, it seems very likely such a bill will pass.
For me, this still does not work, as it would not give an independent voter the ability to vote for their candidate choices, but be locked into a party's selections.
We need a Non-Partisan Blanket Primary.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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