About the “open primaries” thing — assume that I am new in town and consider myself an informed citizen who keeps up with government. I want to register to vote. I would have to decide what party I want to affiliate with, or whether I want to be an “unenrolled” voter (a so-called independent).
I want to participate in every election and do my civic duty so I have learned that I have to affiliate with a party or I cannot vote in the primary elections for state offices.
As an unenrolled voter, I can only vote for local offices and general issues. Somehow, that doesn’t seem fair. My local taxes help pay for the polls to be open and I don’t want to be a donkey or an elephant or even hug-a-tree or scream liberty. I am a small “p” patriot and I believe in the idea of unity sometimes. None of those parties appeal to me.
I just want to vote for the candidate I feel is right and hope he or she survives to run in the general election in the fall.
How do I do that? That is simple — I should support the semi-open primaries legislation (LD 211) currently being debated in Augusta and tell my state legislators that I want to vote in the primaries.
I should just do it so that 35% of those who are registered to vote as “unenrolled” will have a vote in a primary.
Don Fellows, Lisbon
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