Oppose open primaries
I disagree with your May Day editorial promoting open primaries.
Many who don鈥檛 belong to a political party really don鈥檛 seem all that interested in voting. I was an Independent, voting in every election possible. I changed my registration only when a candidate appealed to me as most in line with the ideals and values I had learned as the son of a Korean War veteran and a nurse; as U.S. Air Force veteran who has traveled other countries and lived with people unfamiliar to those in my small Pennsylvania town.
I am a proud liberal Democrat. If a candidate strikes you favorably, then by all means, change your affiliation so you can vote for him or her. If you truly want to offer more choice to voters, and open primaries were the fact, then a ranked-choice ballot may be a better solution. It is a system that accurately represents voters鈥� preferences. It makes sure that the winner is the candidate with the most support, even if they are not everyone蘑菇视频 top choice.
Those who are serving in elected office should reflect the beliefs of the people. In a democracy, the people have the power 鈥� and voters should have the final say. In most American elections where there are more than two candidates, candidates don鈥檛 even need the majority of the vote; they just need to achieve a higher percentage than anyone else. As a result, most candidates only prioritize their core group of supporters, and don鈥檛 take the time to engage with the whole electorate. Ranked-choice voting simply asks you to list your preferences, except instead of listing places to eat, voters list the candidates that they like best. Voters get to express which candidate they like the most, and also which candidates they would prefer if their favorite does not have enough popular support to win.
Say your favorite in the campaign is Candidate A. You agree with Candidate A on almost every issue and think they would represent your values best. Your preferred election outcome would be for Candidate A to win. Obviously, you would rank them first. You are not as excited with Candidate B or Candidate C, but you can get on-board with most of their ideas. If Candidate B or C won, it wouldn鈥檛 be ideal, but you could definitely live with it. You would rank B or C as your second and third choices.
Every citizen should have the right to vote. None should prevent another蘑菇视频 rights. If you care about things that affect the way we live, then get involved and vote!
Bud Santimyer
Scottdale