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April 18, 2006
Why Vote in Primary Elections? - Because we pay for them either way
Democrats and Republicans have intra-party elections to determine which candidates will represent their policy platforms when the general public goes to the polls. Yeah, you say, and so do the Constitution, Green, Libertarian and still other parties. There is a difference, however: the two large parties use the same public-funded electoral devices availed to the general elections – elections that actually decide who sits in office – while the rest make do without such infrastructure, and hold plain, old-fashioned nominating conventions that they fund and run themselves.
On May 2, the Hamilton County Election Commission will organize, supervise and administer these elections to decide the elect-able. In fact, it’s apparently not enough that the public funds one election day for these private organizations, as early voting has started already – in January, maybe, or right after Christmas. (I kid; early voting for the May 2 election starts April 12 and continues through April 27, excluding Sundays. And Friday, April 14. And Saturday, April 15. Confused? Just vote with me on May 2.) Poll workers will check ID’s and cross-reference them with rolls, ballot machines will quietly suck electricity, and officials will be on tap to count everything when it’s all over. There are costs associated with the printing of the ballots, and much more. All of it is happening whether you care or not, and all of it on your (and my) dime.
The major political parties would like to think that they enjoy year-round support (nay, devotion) from all who place their votes with one or the other’s candidates every two or four years. Perhaps using that overestimation as Abramoff-style collateral (think casino boat financing), and because they do more or less evenly split nearly 100 percent of the power, they have written the rules so that their party nominations occur as a public act. I say we jump in and play the game, since we’re footing the bill. Instead of sitting out and letting “the faithful” have the reins, we should inform ourselves about these candidates and show up on primary day to register our say about them. Tennessee has what are called open primaries and surprisingly clean rules on voter registration. A person registers to vote, not as a member of a party. Likewise, when you go to the polls on primary day, you can ask for either ballot. Don’t be fickle with elections, obviously, but if the opportunity and need arises, try primary voting for a party you may not usually support. It feels a little naughty, in the good way.
Some will have little choice other than to switch-hit in the upcoming primary. District 1, for example, has no Democratic candidate for County Commission on the ballot. Should Democrats from Browntown to Sale Creek sit at home? Of course not. First of all, they have choices to make for other offices (just two: Circuit Court Judge Div. II, between Tom Crutchfield and Steven Grant; and Sheriff, between Hank DeArman and Billy Long). If they are less concerned about the outcome of those races than about whether Fred Skillern or Laura Oakley will automatically become the general election winner, though, they may consider asking for a Republican ballot. Similar scenarios abound across the county.
There are additional reasons to vote on May 2, of course, if you happen to live in Chattanooga or in one of several small municipalities around the area. Chattanooga City Judge Sherry Paty appears poised to easily win re-election over her once and future rival, Assistant District Attorney Gerald Webb. We’ll talk more about this race a couple of weeks from now in the all-judge edition, but whether you’re inclined to help Judge Paty cruise or to boost Mr. Webb to a surprise victory, you’ll want to be out and voting. This election is not the primary; it’s the real deal. Judgeships are also at stake in Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Collegedale and Soddy-Daisy. Chattanooga’s 9th District will elect a replacement for Yusuf Hakeem. But the unincorporated, the independent, and the minor-party members will simply be helping to narrow the field down to one each, each position, for the Democrats and Republicans.
Perhaps the parts of party primaries that seem primarily unnecessary are the SEC elections. No, I’m not talking about baseball; these are for the respective State Executive Committees of each major party. It took me a while to figure out why there were “extra” names on ballots when the people named, whether or not I voted for them, never showed up in any government office. Okay, so their function is of significant importance in the parties – why do the rest of us care? These positions do not seem to belong on public ballots, even if I can be convinced that the parties’ candidate selection processes should be public. While I have no qualms whatsoever about encouraging primary-crashing when it comes to real candidates, I would advise leaving these alone if you’re not a party member. The SEC elections aren’t until August, anyway, so the election nearest at hand should be approached with full freedom, and the knowledge to back that freedom.
Send a message this May 2 (or earlier, if you’ll be unavailable on that day) to the controlling organizations. Flood their primaries with votes. The message is, “if you truly want this to be an internal affair, you’ll organize and fund it without public underwriting.” When the public pays for primaries, we have every right and duty to participate in them, regardless of whether we consider ourselves die-hard members of the organizations in question. See you at the polls.
Pulsations | By joe lance | 02:13 PM