1. Registration Advice for Primary Voters

2. Early Primaries Results’ Meaning for Independent Voters

1. Registration Advice for Primary Voters

A conversation I was having with a lady earlier this week offered some insights worth sharing. I discovered she thought since she was registered with one of the two major parties, she was required to always be registered with that party. This is not true.

If you are registered as an independent voter, there is nothing to stop you from registering as a member of another Party. Further, if you are registered as a member of one party, there is still nothing to stop you from registering as a member of another party.

Some of you might tell me things are done differently in your state, but as far as I know there are no blood oaths to be taken or penalties for perjury associated with voter registration. You can register for whatever party you want, but you can only have one affiliation. The reason for the requirement is so during elections where the parties are trying to settle some internal matter (such as selection of candidates for the general election) voters are only able to have a ballot with one party’s candidates on it. Either that, or some sort of mechanism with the ballot is used (especially where independent voters are allowed to vote in primaries) to ensure only one party is voted for.

In other words, if you are registered with Party X and during a primary election you want to vote for a candidate from Party Y, then you can change your registration to Party Y. By the same token, once that election is over, there is nothing to stop you from switching back to your original status or register another way still.

Of course, that won’t make the dyed in the wool party members happy, but that’s too bad. It’s an election year and the circus of choosing candidates is coming to your state. Be ready when it does. Register and vote.

2. Early Primaries Results’ Meaning for Independent Voters

The two major manufacturers of Presidential political candidates had the first meetings of their shareholders in Iowa and New Hampshire to determine what model candidate voters will be offered in November 2012. The Democrats’ model is, of course, set. As a practical matter, your voting choice in November will be between incumbent President Barack Obama and whoever the Republican Party nominates.

You already don’t like either choice? Too bad. This is the reality of the choice the American electoral system gives independent voters. Until independent voters decide to rally together to demand change to the system, this either-or choice will continue to be the choice they have.

Iowa’s results confirm once again the baffling behavior of voters who claim to be dissatisfied with their choices, but are too lazy to make their choices better.

In a state with an overall population of just over 3 million, some 640,000 adults are registered Republican voters. Of those voters, just over 122,000 (less than 20%) showed up to vote.* Primary elections are where the candidates are chosen for the general election. Voters who fail to participate in primaries should not complain when the choices in the general election seem unsatisfactory. Why independent voters do not at least temporarily register with one party or the other to affect the outcome is a mystery.