UNDATED (AP)- Voters rejected a proposal to adopt what is sometimes known as a jungle primary after the leaders of both major parties criticized it. Those critics argued that the smaller Libertarian and No Labels parties would be unlikely to ever appear on the general election ballot.
In South Dakota, Democrats allowed voters with no political affiliation to participate in their June primary, but Republicans did not. The election initiative would have amended the state constitution to end partisan primaries by having all candidates for an office run at once, with the top two advancing.
Supporters of the change argue it would make elections better reflect voters’ wishes and ensure that 155,000 voters with no party affiliation can vote for their favored candidates in a primary.
In a state where the GOP holds nearly 90% of the Legislature’s seats, it’s likely that in many places all of the general election candidates would have been Republicans. Meanwhile, a broader electorate could have helped more moderate GOP candidates at the expense of more conservative ones favored by party leaders.
Comments