  Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1032 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://www.politico.com/blogs/ jonathanmartin/1107/Michigan_M ichigan_Michigan.html | ||
Wilus1mj Member Username: Wilus1mj Post Number: 227 Registered: 05-2005 |
I don't get it...the whole system needs to be changed. Let the lawsuits begin.... | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3073 Registered: 11-2003 |
Sadly, the article doesn't address why the primaries were thrown out in the first place. The State of Michigan was made a de facto collection agency of names and addresses for the democratic and republican "parties". This "problem" can be easily fixed two ways: First, mandate that this is an OPEN primary where anyone can vote without declaring any party allegiance. Yes, the democrats will kvetch and moan about that little detail, but who cares. Second, scrap this ridiculous notion that there has to be a primary in each state individually. Pick a date and have every state hold their primary on that date. Yes, the democratic and republican "parties" will complain, but again, who cares. | ||
Miesfan Member Username: Miesfan Post Number: 57 Registered: 11-2007 |
Does this mean I will have the opportunity to choose between all the candidates and that my vote will actually count at the convention? Woo-hoo let the Mike Gravel revolution begin. | ||
Shark Member Username: Shark Post Number: 300 Registered: 12-2003 |
It is an open primary. Just waltz into your polling place and choose either a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot. Choosing a candidate to vote for in the primary will not switch your party affiliation. | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3075 Registered: 11-2003 |
No, it's not. If the primary is still on, you must declare a party preference prior to getting a ballot. | ||
Shark Member Username: Shark Post Number: 301 Registered: 12-2003 |
Feel free to read Public Act 52 of 2007. All you have to do is mark which which ballot you want, Rep or Dem. Ballot Selection; Records Under the bill, in order to vote at a presidential primary, an elector must indicate in writing, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, which participating political party ballot he or she wishes to vote when appearing to vote at a presidential primary. In fulfilling these requirements, the Secretary of State must prescribe procedures intended to protect or safeguard the confidentiality of the participating political party ballot selected by an elector. An elector may not be challenged at a presidential primary based solely upon the participating political party ballot he or she selected. An elector may be challenged only to the extent authorized under Section 727. (Under Section 727, an election inspector must challenge an applicant for a ballot if the inspector knows or has good reason to suspect that the applicant is not a qualified and registered elector of the precinct, or if a challenge appears in connection with the applicant's name in the registration book. A registered elector of the precinct present in the polling place may challenge the right of anyone attempting to vote if the elector knows or has good reason to suspect that the individual is not a registered elector in that precinct. An election inspector or other qualified challenger also may challenge the right of an individual attempting to vote who has previously applied for an absent voter ballot and who on election day is claiming to have never received the absent voter ballot or to have lost or destroyed it.) Except as otherwise provided in the bill, the information acquired or in the possession of a public body indicating which participating political party primary ballot an elector selected is confidential and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and may not be disclosed to any person for any reason. The bill requires the Secretary of State to develop a procedure for city and township clerks to use when keeping a separate record at a presidential primary election that contains the printed name, address, and qualified voter file number of each elector and the participating political party primary ballot selected by that elector. To ensure compliance with the State and national political party rules of each participating political party and with these provisions, the Secretary of State also must provide to the chairperson of each participating political party a file of these records, within 71 days after the presidential primary. The Secretary of State must set a schedule for county, city, and township clerks to submit the required data or documents. Immediately after the 22- month Federal election records retention period expires, the Secretary of State and local clerks must destroy the recorded information indicating which presidential primary ballot each elector selected. Except as described below, a participating political party may not use the information indicating which presidential primary ballot each elector selected for any purpose, including a commercial purpose, and may not release the information to any other person, organization, or vendor. A participating political party may use the information transmitted under these provisions only to support political party activities by that participating political party, including support for or opposition to candidates and ballot proposals. A party may release the information to another person, organization, or vendor for the purpose of supporting political party activities, including support for or opposition to candidates or ballot proposals. A participating political party that releases the information to another person, organization, or vendor as authorized must enter into a contract with the person, organization, or vendor. The participating political party must retain the contract for six years from the effective date of the contract or any amendment to it. The contract must do all of the following: -- State the information use restrictions imposed by the bill. -- Specify how and when the information will be used. -- Prohibit the donation, use, or sale of the information for any purpose other than a purpose authorized under the bill. -- Prohibit the retention of the information after authorized use. -- Describe the criminal penalties provided for misuse. Any person who uses the information indicating which participating political party primary ballot an elector selected for an unauthorized purpose is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1,000 for each voter record that is improperly used or imprisonment for up to 93 days, or both. (Message edited by Shark on November 21, 2007) | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3078 Registered: 11-2003 |
It has nothing to do with party affiliation, it has to do with giving the "parties" access to voter records for the January election...which according to the radio, is now back on again. | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3079 Registered: 11-2003 |
And someone shouldn't have to fill out anything for the SOS indicating which party they want to vote for. | ||
Shark Member Username: Shark Post Number: 302 Registered: 12-2003 |
The parties are not given voter records, they simply get a list of who selected what ballot. They won't know who you vote for. | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3080 Registered: 11-2003 |
True, they won't know who you voted for. But they will know who your are and where you live...courtesy of the State of Michigan. | ||
Shark Member Username: Shark Post Number: 303 Registered: 12-2003 |
Don't vote then. I don't really care. Or vote with a tinfoil hat on if that helps. | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3081 Registered: 11-2003 |
That's not the point, and you know better than that. There is absolutely no reason for the republican/democratic "parties" to have access to that kind of information...especially free of charge and not made available to anyone else. | ||
Shark Member Username: Shark Post Number: 304 Registered: 12-2003 |
Eh... Listen, I do see your point but I really can't work up any outrage over it. There are too many other things I care about that will be affected by the outcome of this election for me to worry about. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2814 Registered: 06-2006 |
So it looks like this thing is back on now... | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3082 Registered: 11-2003 |
Four "republican" judges overturned the lower courts and performed an amazing feat of verbal gymnastics in the process. |
