On Feb 7th, 2017, the Virginia State Senate overwhelmingly voted down State Senator Cosgrove’s Closed Primary Bill (SB 821) and allowed State Senator Obenshain’s Closed Primary Bill (SB 902) to expire without a Vote.
SB 821 - Primary Elections; adds Political Party affiliation to information for Voter Registration
Voter Registration by Political Party affiliation; Primary Elections. Adds party affiliation, beginning January 1, 2018, to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when rRegistering to Vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. Voters registered prior to January 1, 2018, will be designated as independent unless they provide a political party designation in writing to the general registrar. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are closed prior to an election. The state party chairman of each political party must notify the State Board of Elections by January 31 of each year of the rules adopted by the duly constituted authorities of the state political party governing who may participate in the party's primaries held from April 1 of that year through March 31 of the following year.
SB 902 - Primary Elections; Voter Registration by Political Party
Primary elections; voter registration by political party. Adds party affiliation to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. The bill requires the State Board of Elections (State Board), in September 2017, to notify all registered voters of the new party registration law and send them a return card to indicate their party affiliation or independent status. Any voter who does not state a party affiliation shall be designated as independent in the registration records. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time before the registration records are closed in advance of an election. The bill (i) requires the state party chairman to notify the State Board by January 31 of each year whether the party will close or open its primaries, (ii) requires that primary candidate petitions be signed and witnessed by voters registered as affiliated with the party conducting the primary, (iii) sets the required number of petition signatures at one percent of the number of voters registered as affiliated with the party in the election district where the primary is being held, and (iv) allows an official political party to retain that status as long as at least 15 percent of the Commonwealth's registered voters are registered as affiliated with that party. The provisions of the bill are applicable to primaries conducted after January 1, 2018.
Over the past few weeks, Open Primaries organized hundreds of letters and calls to Virginia Legislators, urging them to reject this harmful Legislation. Thanks to their members' Advocacy, they stopped two Closed Primary Bills dead in their tracks.
Together, they showed the Virginia Legislature what happens when the people come together to fight for what’s right.
Similar Battles continue to be waged across the country:
- This week alone, there are hearings on Open Primaries Bills in New Mexico and Maine.
- Last week, the Supreme Court announced that it would reconsider past rulings on Open Primaries, which could create a dangerous Legal precedent for State Parties to Close their Primaries.
- They are in the middle of a Petition Campaign calling on the incoming Leaders of the DNC & RNC to Open the Primaries Nationwide.
CLICK HERE for more information about Open Primaries.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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