Washington State Grange

February 8, 2007

Grange, legislators propose bill to eliminate "pick-a-party" primary

Today, the Washington State Grange and legislators are proposing a bill to eliminate the party nominating primary created in 2004 and restore the kind of “top-two” primary the voters in Washington adopted later that same year in Initiative 872.

“The voters of Washington do not want a closed, party nominating primary,” said Washington State Grange President Terry Hunt. “They object – as well they should – to being forced to select a ‘democratic,’ ‘republican,’ or ‘libertarian’ ballot in order to even participate at the most basic level in the selection of their own public officials.”

“The ‘pick-a-party’ primary we have endured since 2004 sends the message to the public that the candidates are obligated to the political parties, not the voters,” said prime sponsor Tim Sheldon (D-35). “This proposed legislation sends the message to the political parties that the voters want their primary back.”

In its decision on Initiative 872, the Ninth Circuit Court focused on only one issue – the appearance of “party labels” in conjunction with the candidates’ names on the primary ballot. This legislation eliminates those labels and the only objection the court had to Initiative 872.

Supporters contend that the voters want a primary in which they can support any candidate they feel is best for any office. If the appeal of the I-872 litigation to the Supreme Court succeeds, voters will have that kind of primary. If it is not successful, then removing the party names from the ballot - as proposed in this bill – is the only path left to us by the federal courts.

This change in our election laws would not erase political parties or partisanship from campaigns or from government. But it would constrain partisanship in both campaigns and in the Legislature. It is assumed that political parties would still recruit candidates to run for public office and that candidates would still seek the support of political parties. But all candidates would compete on an equal footing for that support – and for the public’s support.

The state of Nebraska has had a nonpartisan Legislature since 1935 and it operates just about the same way Legislatures operate in every other state. The only significant difference is that voters there can support any candidate they choose in the primary for any office. This is the kind of primary the voters of Washington want back. This proposed legislation would give it to them.