Senate passes bill to allow independents to vote in primaries

State News

February 3, 2010

By RONNIE ELLIS The McCreary County Record Wed Feb 03, 2010, 03:01 PM EST

FRANKFORT — If the Kentucky Senate – especially its Republican caucus – gets its way, those registered to vote as independents could vote in the Democratic or Republican party primaries.

The measure, Senate Bill 53 sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, passed the Senate Tuesday 25-12, after Higdon amended the bill to react to concerns of Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, about gaming the system by those who might want to influence a party’s primary choice for partisan reasons.

The bill is likely to face a difficult plight in the Democratic House. It would allow anyone to register as an independent before Dec. 31 immediately prior to the primary.

Higdon and Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said the bill is aimed at voters who are locked out of party primaries in counties dominated by one party, effectively eliminating their voice in local government.

“In those counties, Williams said, “primaries are tantamount to election to offices that do not involve party philosophy but are ministerial.”

Jones said, however, the law would apply to other races and not just local county races. Besides, he said, “Democrats should choose their candidates and Republicans should choose their candidates. This undermines the entire two-party system.”

Voters may now switch parties – from one to the other – by Dec. 31 preceding a primary and vote in the primary of their new party. But independents can’t vote in either. Higdon’s measure does not allow Republicans to vote in Democratic primaries or the other way around.

The bill’s opponents fear independents could unfairly affect a party’s primary to select a weaker candidate who might then lose in the general election.

Nonetheless, it passed with all Republicans and four Democrats – Walter Blevins, David Boswell, Mike Reynolds and Robin Webb – voting for the bill.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.

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