Disclosing Political Party to Poll Volunteers?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by burdell

But what if you'd choose one party's candidate for one office and another party's candidate for a different office because you hope to see both on the general election ballot? Seems like that should be allowed.

Why?

Political parties are, in essence, private entities. You identify as one, it doesn't matter which one, and are part of choosing the nominee for that party.

I'll use myself as an example. If Maryland was an open primary state I would vote in June for the person I think will be the weakest candidate against who I think will be my preferred candidate for Governor.

You have sort of an issue of open primary states in California right now in one Congressional district. There are so many Democrats running there is real fear among the Democratic central committee that none of them will end up in the top two vote getters, thereby sending two Republicans to the general election to run against each other.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks

The voting officials insisted we tell them which party we wanted to vote for so they could direct us to the correct voting booth. We didn't want to tell them; we were voting Democrat and didn't want anyone else to know this, but we were stuck telling them and everyone else within earshot. We were not allowed to vote split ticket. I suspect this is one of Texas' methods of indirectly enforcing gerrymandering.

Each State makes its own rules. In Ohio, you must declare a party or no party when registering to vote, and once you've done so, you can only vote in that party's primaries. If you declare yourself to be independent, you cannot vote in any primary elections, unless there happens to be primary of independents.

It has nothing to do with gerrymandering.

[crone]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Why?

Political parties are, in essence, private entities. You identify as one, it doesn't matter which one, and are part of choosing the nominee for that party.

I'll use myself as an example. If Maryland was an open primary state I would vote in June for the person I think will be the weakest candidate against who I think will be my preferred candidate for Governor.

You have sort of an issue of open primary states in California right now in one Congressional district. There are so many Democrats running there is real fear among the Democratic central committee that none of them will end up in the top two vote getters, thereby sending two Republicans to the general election to run against each other.

Before the Texas Republican party had contested primaries that is exactly what the majority did. Vote in the democratic primary for the candidate that could be the easiest to defeat.