The Case For Closed Primaries

[DaGoose]

Ummm. not really. I live in Illinois. I usually pull a GOP ballot, except in 1992, where I pulled a Democratic one. (becasue there was no race in the GOP in either the Presidency or Senate Races that year, and my Democratic Congressman helped me out).

They don't record, you can pull whatever ballot you want for the primary. the problem is, you can't vote across lines for different offices. So I'd like to vote in the Democratic primary for Congressperson, (because the GOP won't have a candidate who can win re-election) but I'm probalby stuck drawing a GOP ballot if the presidential race is still going on or I want to vote against Romney out of spite.

Ummm.....yes, really. I used to be a Precinct Committeeman and registered people to vote. Had you gone down to the County Clerk's office in 93 and asked for a list of registered voters (it's a matter of public record) you would have seen a "D" by your name.

Yes, you can pull whatever ballot you want but they DO record what party you request. And your name would be affiliated with that party until you asked for the opposite party ballot in another primary.

Don't take my word for it. Call your County Clerk's office. Or better yet, ask for a list of registered voters in your precinct. You can see which party your neighbors pulled for in the last primary.

Oh my God, you mean there was a D by name once somewhere. Oh, sweet lordy! It's like a scarlet letter.

Besides the fact I kind of doubt this, so what?

I'd be kind of worried if the country clerks office gave away that information to anyone who asks for it.

It may not mean much to you but it does mean a lot to candidates and parties. They use these lists to target their resources to specific voters. In my small county (several years ago) we had a hot primary race for Sheriff. Many registered Republicans crossed over to vote. So many, in fact, that there were stories printed about how the Republican party was decimated of members and the Dems had HUGE gains in declared members.

Yes, your name, address, phone number (if you provided it) and declared party is a matter of public record and available to anyone who asks for it and pays for it. I know since I bought them during the years that I served as an elected county official.

Candidates use these lists to contact you with phone calls and mailings. If you're a declared "D" you would not get calls or mailings from "R" candidates.

See how it works?

 

[JoeB131]

Well, that's pretty stupid.

But given this state, with Fat Quinn running it, I'm not surprised.

 

[DaGoose]

Oh my God, you mean there was a D by name once somewhere. Oh, sweet lordy! It's like a scarlet letter.

Besides the fact I kind of doubt this, so what?

I'd be kind of worried if the country clerks office gave away that information to anyone who asks for it.

The information I can give out on a voter is name, city, birthdate, how registered and voting history.

Voter lists can be purchased for political, scholarly or journalistic reasons that give detailed information on each voter.

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

Not really. Outside of party affiliation you can get the same information from a phone book.

 

[DaGoose]

Well, that's pretty stupid.

But given this state, with Fat Quinn running it, I'm not surprised.

It's been that way since the 70's, I believe.

 

[Two Thumbs]

As the state of Michigan prepares for Tuesday's presidential primary, questions remain about whether Democrats could skew the results via crossover voting. The state of Michigan has no party registration requirement, so any registered voter can participate in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary, including Democrats and independents.

Crossover voter threat in Michigan? Officials say they

This is plain wrong.

In Illinois if a person was to go in ask for a GOP ballot he or she would automatically be registered in the GOP party for the next two years.

I'm an independant.

I don't get to vote in PA primaries.

Don't know why, I have the right to vote. Seems like we should all get to vote.

 

[JoeB131]

The information I can give out on a voter is name, city, birthdate, how registered and voting history.

Voter lists can be purchased for political, scholarly or journalistic reasons that give detailed information on each voter.

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

Not really. Outside of party affiliation you can get the same information from a phone book.

Which is why my phone number is UNLISTED and I pay extra money for that.

 

[JoeB131]

Well, that's pretty stupid.

But given this state, with Fat Quinn running it, I'm not surprised.

It's been that way since the 70's, I believe.

Oh, that totally excuses it.

We've been doing this fucked up shit since the 70's, that makes it perfectly okay.

 

[Seawytch]

Oh my God, you mean there was a D by name once somewhere. Oh, sweet lordy! It's like a scarlet letter.

Besides the fact I kind of doubt this, so what?

I'd be kind of worried if the country clerks office gave away that information to anyone who asks for it.

The information I can give out on a voter is name, city, birthdate, how registered and voting history.

Voter lists can be purchased for political, scholarly or journalistic reasons that give detailed information on each voter.

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

You can't really get much with a name and a birthdate.

 

[Seawytch]

As the state of Michigan prepares for Tuesday's presidential primary, questions remain about whether Democrats could skew the results via crossover voting. The state of Michigan has no party registration requirement, so any registered voter can participate in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary, including Democrats and independents.

Crossover voter threat in Michigan? Officials say they

This is plain wrong.

In Illinois if a person was to go in ask for a GOP ballot he or she would automatically be registered in the GOP party for the next two years.

I'm an independant.

I don't get to vote in PA primaries.

Don't know why, I have the right to vote. Seems like we should all get to vote.

It is a PRIMARY. The entire purpose of a Primary is for the parties to choose their candidates. You don't want to be a member of the party, you don't get to vote in their Primary.

 

[JoeB131]

The information I can give out on a voter is name, city, birthdate, how registered and voting history.

Voter lists can be purchased for political, scholarly or journalistic reasons that give detailed information on each voter.

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

You can't really get much with a name and a birthdate.

According to Goose, you can get an address and phone number, too.

Which when I worked for the Census Bureau two years ago, they said was more than enough to commit identity theft.

 

[Seawytch]

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

Not really. Outside of party affiliation you can get the same information from a phone book.

Which is why my phone number is UNLISTED and I pay extra money for that.

Don't put your phone number or email on your voter registration form. Then all you'll get is a shitload of junk mail.

 

[Seawytch]

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

You can't really get much with a name and a birthdate.

According to Goose, you can get an address and phone number, too.

Which when I worked for the Census Bureau two years ago, they said was more than enough to commit identity theft.

It depends on who "you" are. If you called a registrars office, they would not give you the address and phone number of a voter. Candidates and campaigns can purchase the voter lists which include address and phone numbers but their use of the information is restricted.

Laws vary from state to state, but in California there is also a street index outside of every polling place that gives the address and phone number of voters in the precinct. This list is for "get out the vote" campaigns on Election Day. They use those lists to contact voters that haven't voted yet. It is only there, at the polling place, on Election Day.

 

[DaGoose]

And you wonder why people don't vote?

That's pretty much an invitation to commit identity theft.

You can't really get much with a name and a birthdate.

According to Goose, you can get an address and phone number, too.

Which when I worked for the Census Bureau two years ago, they said was more than enough to commit identity theft.

First of all I never said anything about birthdates. You can't get that from voter records. Just name and addy and sometimes phone numbers if you provided that information when first registering years ago.

And it's not only primary voters. It's anyone who is registered to vote, even independents.

There has to be lists so that election judges can be provided with them to verify legal voters.

 

[Inthemiddle]

Ive opposed the open primary concept since 08. I think it's absolutely stupid that we let people who aren't in our party determine who our party is going to nominate.

On the other hand, there's nothing to stop someone from changing party registration every two years, just for the sake of maliciously "screwing" with the nomination process any time they so wish. If they want to do it, they're going to do it, closed primary or not.

 

[Full-Auto]

Crossover voter threat in Michigan? Officials say they

This is plain wrong.

In Illinois if a person was to go in ask for a GOP ballot he or she would automatically be registered in the GOP party for the next two years.

What would registration matter? You are not bound to vote that way.

What I meant was that he or she would be automatically counted in the ranks of whatever party they asked for a ballot. By doing that they are a declared member of that party for the next two years.

Working with that. So they count you as one of theirs. How does that actually affect you?

 

[manifold]

Closed primaries are un-American.

 

[DaGoose]

What would registration matter? You are not bound to vote that way.

What I meant was that he or she would be automatically counted in the ranks of whatever party they asked for a ballot. By doing that they are a declared member of that party for the next two years.

Working with that. So they count you as one of theirs. How does that actually affect you?

Not much really. Explained in post #21.

 

[DaGoose]

Closed primaries are un-American.

So is members of the opposite party crossing over to do nothing other than screw with the other party.

 

[manifold]

Did you ever notice that the only people against open primaries are partisan hack douchebags?

 

[manifold]

Closed primaries are un-American.

So is members of the opposite party crossing over to do nothing other than screw with the other party.

Fail.

Exercising one's right to suffrage is very much American, dumbass.