Ballot initiative would allow independents to vote in primaries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Half the city council is nutty pseudo Green Party members that are far to the left of the electorate. We wouldn’t have this chasm between what the public wants and what our elected leaders want if we opened up the primary to independents.

It’s even worse with ANC representatives. They get elected with eight votes and then spend their term giving their constituents the finger.

ANC reps are pretty toothless. They can write mean letters, but that's about it. Since they are unpaid, I guess we get what we pay for.

[Anonymous]

Do away with the primaries altogether. You dont need in places where there’s only one viable party

[Anonymous]

The Washington post has a story looking at this phenomenon but in the House of Representatives, about how the people trying to shut down the government were all elected by a tiny number of people voting in primaries in areas where there’s only one viable party. Same deal just different party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our city council would look pretty different if this was adopted

Would it? Don't get me wrong - I'm in favor of the ballot initiative - but if the city's 80,000 registered independents were that jazzed about voting in primaries, they'd register as a democrat, wouldn't they? The Venn diagram of people who register as independent, but want to vote in primaries and refuse to register as democrats for some reason has to be like 3 cranks on DCUM.

It would make a huge difference. Many of these jokers get elected with barely any votes. Nadeau won her primary with 7,000 votes. There’s 80,000 independents. You don’t need many of them to vote to dramatically change the electorate.

Agree. We need to reduce the skyrocketing crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our city council would look pretty different if this was adopted

Radically different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

I suspect a lot of central candidates in dc who would be independents or republicans anywhere else, call themselves democrats in dc. Tony Williams is a prime example. Smart, business friendly, technocrat. I'm sure he is appalled by what's going on and he would certainly have waded into crime.

I think this is a great step. We also need ranked voting. And we also need people to ignore the labels and actually read. Candidates publish what theys stand for and you can spot the tinfoil hats a mile away. Also, our Council have depressing track records and should almost all be thrown out. Who would have thought the lady from Georgetown who improbably took Evans seat would be the bright light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Half the city council is nutty pseudo Green Party members that are far to the left of the electorate. We wouldn’t have this chasm between what the public wants and what our elected leaders want if we opened up the primary to independents.

It’s even worse with ANC representatives. They get elected with eight votes and then spend their term giving their constituents the finger.

ANC reps are pretty toothless. They can write mean letters, but that's about it. Since they are unpaid, I guess we get what we pay for.

They are toothless, they also approve a lot of buildings but don't hold the builders to their promises. The ANC structure should be looked at. It's dysfunctional.

[Anonymous]

Oops!

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/636387/filing-mistakes-could-doom-the-d-c-democrats-legal-challenge-to-initiative-83/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our city council would look pretty different if this was adopted

Would it? Don't get me wrong - I'm in favor of the ballot initiative - but if the city's 80,000 registered independents were that jazzed about voting in primaries, they'd register as a democrat, wouldn't they? The Venn diagram of people who register as independent, but want to vote in primaries and refuse to register as democrats for some reason has to be like 3 cranks on DCUM.

DP: A lot of Independents are registered Independent because of their jobs. Lots of job require apolitical judgments, but don't prevent you from voting. Registering as Independent is the safest approach. The ones I know typically vote Democrat anyway, so I wouldn't expect a huge outcome difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

I’m one of those looney people who thinks only party members should choose that party’s candidate. Why should the lazy yahoos get to invade a group they’re not a part of and choose who that group’s candidate.

If you’re an independent or unaffiliated, and want to vote, there’s the general election for that.

Because todays Democratic Party can’t elect a moderate democrat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our city council would look pretty different if this was adopted

Would it? Don't get me wrong - I'm in favor of the ballot initiative - but if the city's 80,000 registered independents were that jazzed about voting in primaries, they'd register as a democrat, wouldn't they? The Venn diagram of people who register as independent, but want to vote in primaries and refuse to register as democrats for some reason has to be like 3 cranks on DCUM.

DP: A lot of Independents are registered Independent because of their jobs. Lots of job require apolitical judgments, but don't prevent you from voting. Registering as Independent is the safest approach. The ones I know typically vote Democrat anyway, so I wouldn't expect a huge outcome difference.

Like anywhere else, there’s also a lot of independents who are actually independent who don’t get all that worked up about red vs blue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

I’m one of those looney people who thinks only party members should choose that party’s candidate. Why should the lazy yahoos get to invade a group they’re not a part of and choose who that group’s candidate.

If you’re an independent or unaffiliated, and want to vote, there’s the general election for that.

Because that disenfranchises people? The only elections that matter in DC are the primaries. By the time the general election rolls around, it’s the person who’s going to win versus some homeless person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

I’m one of those looney people who thinks only party members should choose that party’s candidate. Why should the lazy yahoos get to invade a group they’re not a part of and choose who that group’s candidate.

If you’re an independent or unaffiliated, and want to vote, there’s the general election for that.

Because that disenfranchises people? The only elections that matter in DC are the primaries. By the time the general election rolls around, it’s the person who’s going to win versus some homeless person

+1

I have no problem with parties choosing their own candidates, but I am not sure why they require the public to pay for that process. Let them pay for their own party convention if that is what they want to do. If instead they want to have their candidate selection process run trough the government, then the government should set rules that enfranchise the most number of people to promote voting and the democratic process. It’s not complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a ballot initiative that would allow independents to vote in primaries. This is a really important reform to how we conduct elections.

DC is a one party city of course which means all the important decisions are made in the primaries. If you’re waiting until the general election to choose a candidate, you’re doing it wrong. By then, it’s the person who’s going to win vs. some crazy person in a tin foil hat.

DC has some of the most restrictive rules in the country though about who is allowed to vote in primaries.

Not surprisingly, turnout in primaries is very low and is dominated by the two parties’ extremists. If you’re wondering why our elected representatives seem so far to the left of the voters, well, here’s your answer.

Opening up the primaries to independents would: 1. Dramatically increase turnout 2. Stop disenfranchising the city’s 80,000 independents and 3. Produce candidates more closely aligned with what voters actually want.

I’m one of those looney people who thinks only party members should choose that party’s candidate. Why should the lazy yahoos get to invade a group they’re not a part of and choose who that group’s candidate.

If you’re an independent or unaffiliated, and want to vote, there’s the general election for that.

Because that disenfranchises people? The only elections that matter in DC are the primaries. By the time the general election rolls around, it’s the person who’s going to win versus some homeless person

+1

I have no problem with parties choosing their own candidates, but I am not sure why they require the public to pay for that process. Let them pay for their own party convention if that is what they want to do. If instead they want to have their candidate selection process run trough the government, then the government should set rules that enfranchise the most number of people to promote voting and the democratic process. It’s not complicated.

This.