Prop 108 would allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a party’s June primary election without affiliating with the party. (This is different from Prop 107 which only applies to presidential primary elections.) Minor political parties could prohibit unaffiliated voters from participating in their primary elections.
A major political party would be able to select its nominees via the assembly process rather than a primary election if three-fourths of the members of the party’s State Central Committee vote to do so by October 1 of the year preceding the election. Whichever method is chosen would apply to selecting party nominees for all local, state and federal offices except for US president.
Unaffiliated voters would receive a single combined ballot for the primary election. They could look at the entire combined ballot and then choose which party’s ballot they would like to vote. If the elector fills in more than one party’s ballot, the entire ballot would be invalidated.
In Colorado, not only do we allow election-day voter registration, but unaffiliated voters can choose to affiliate with a party on primary election day and vote that party’s ballot. However, they are not currently mailed a ballot and so have to make a special effort to request a ballot.
Recommendation: NO/AGAINST
I see Prop 108 in an entirely different light than Prop 107 for presidential primaries. The presidential primaries have many more people nationwide choosing the party’s mantle bearer so allowing unaffiliated voters in Colorado to weigh in doesn’t concern me so much.
At the local and state level, however, the unaffiliated voters would have a much greater impact precisely because one third of Colorado’s electorate chooses to be unaffiliated. These voters currently choose not to have a voice in the primary election. We can respect that choice and not bother them during the primaries. People who want to be unaffiliated may feel obliged to vote in a primary election if they receive a ballot even if they are not well informed and don’t particularly want to be informed. They may be swayed by big-money advertising or a big name and not really take the time to understand the candidates’ stands.
There is another good reason to vote against Prop 108. Political parties which currently hold primary elections could choose all of their nominees in assemblies, entirely disenfranchising all the voters registered with that party except the few activists who are eligible to vote at the assemblies. This would be reminiscent of the days of smoke-filled rooms and Tammany Hall. Often the party activists prefer one candidate – giving that candidate top billing on the ballot -- but the voters in the primary election elect as their party’s nominee a candidate further down the list.
Would parties decide to choose all of their nominees in assemblies? It seems likely. The state chairs of the Republican and Democratic Parties are both opposed to Prop 108.
Currently, most offices only have one candidate running for a party’s nomination. This year for the city of Boulder electorate, there was barely a reason to vote in the primary. Outside of House District 10, the only contested race for the Democrats was between a write-in candidate and Congressman Polis seeking re-election. As for the Republicans, the one contested race involved 6 candidates seeking the party’s nomination for US Senator. Supporters of Prop 108 argue that voter turnout would increase, but there is not much point in voting if there aren’t competitive races.
A bigger problem is that some races, such as House District 10, are decided in the primary. We need an active 2-party or multi-party system so that there are real choices in the general election.
Website for the Yes Side (Let Colorado Vote)
http://www.letcovote2016.com/
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Proposition 108 (STATUTORY)
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning the process of selecting candidates representing political parties on a general election ballot, and, in connection therewith, allowing an unaffiliated elector to vote in the primary election of a political party without declaring an affiliation with that party and permitting a political party in specific circumstances to select all of its candidates by assembly or convention instead of by primary election?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
Proposition 108 initiative language filed with the Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/filings/2015-2016/98Final.pdf
A major political party would be able to select its nominees via the assembly process rather than a primary election if three-fourths of the members of the party’s State Central Committee vote to do so by October 1 of the year preceding the election. Whichever method is chosen would apply to selecting party nominees for all local, state and federal offices except for US president.
Unaffiliated voters would receive a single combined ballot for the primary election. They could look at the entire combined ballot and then choose which party’s ballot they would like to vote. If the elector fills in more than one party’s ballot, the entire ballot would be invalidated.
In Colorado, not only do we allow election-day voter registration, but unaffiliated voters can choose to affiliate with a party on primary election day and vote that party’s ballot. However, they are not currently mailed a ballot and so have to make a special effort to request a ballot.
Recommendation: NO/AGAINST
I see Prop 108 in an entirely different light than Prop 107 for presidential primaries. The presidential primaries have many more people nationwide choosing the party’s mantle bearer so allowing unaffiliated voters in Colorado to weigh in doesn’t concern me so much.
At the local and state level, however, the unaffiliated voters would have a much greater impact precisely because one third of Colorado’s electorate chooses to be unaffiliated. These voters currently choose not to have a voice in the primary election. We can respect that choice and not bother them during the primaries. People who want to be unaffiliated may feel obliged to vote in a primary election if they receive a ballot even if they are not well informed and don’t particularly want to be informed. They may be swayed by big-money advertising or a big name and not really take the time to understand the candidates’ stands.
There is another good reason to vote against Prop 108. Political parties which currently hold primary elections could choose all of their nominees in assemblies, entirely disenfranchising all the voters registered with that party except the few activists who are eligible to vote at the assemblies. This would be reminiscent of the days of smoke-filled rooms and Tammany Hall. Often the party activists prefer one candidate – giving that candidate top billing on the ballot -- but the voters in the primary election elect as their party’s nominee a candidate further down the list.
Would parties decide to choose all of their nominees in assemblies? It seems likely. The state chairs of the Republican and Democratic Parties are both opposed to Prop 108.
Currently, most offices only have one candidate running for a party’s nomination. This year for the city of Boulder electorate, there was barely a reason to vote in the primary. Outside of House District 10, the only contested race for the Democrats was between a write-in candidate and Congressman Polis seeking re-election. As for the Republicans, the one contested race involved 6 candidates seeking the party’s nomination for US Senator. Supporters of Prop 108 argue that voter turnout would increase, but there is not much point in voting if there aren’t competitive races.
A bigger problem is that some races, such as House District 10, are decided in the primary. We need an active 2-party or multi-party system so that there are real choices in the general election.
Website for the Yes Side (Let Colorado Vote)
http://www.letcovote2016.com/
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Proposition 108 (STATUTORY)
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning the process of selecting candidates representing political parties on a general election ballot, and, in connection therewith, allowing an unaffiliated elector to vote in the primary election of a political party without declaring an affiliation with that party and permitting a political party in specific circumstances to select all of its candidates by assembly or convention instead of by primary election?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
Proposition 108 initiative language filed with the Secretary of State
http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/filings/2015-2016/98Final.pdf
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