Lawmakers: Give unaffiliated voters a voice

A bipartisan group of legislators wants to change state election law to make Florida an open primary state for presidential elections. Florida is in the minority of states that allow only Republicans and Democrats to nominate candidates for the White House, but lawmakers say that's an arcane system that disenfranchises the 1.9-million voters in the state who are not affiliated with either party.

The bills (HB 1189 and SB 2726) have not been scheduled for hearings in either house. Sponsors are Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, and Common Cause and League of Women Voters are lobbying for the legislation.

Comments

STOP TRYING TO REDIRECT THE FOCUS AWAY FROM YOUR FAILURES AND FIX PROPERTY INSURANCE YOU LYING PINHEADS!

As a member of either party would I want independents and members of the other party picking MY parties candidate??

McCain would have beat Romney by 20 pts if there would have been an open primary.

The entire Two-Party system is “an arcane system that disenfranchises” and exploits the ignorance of far more than 1.9-million voters. There isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between, or a nickel’s worth of integrity within either.

Not in recent history has there been a time more fraught with political corruption and incompetence. Not in recent history has there been a time riper for a political revolution at the polls. Not in recent history has there been a time when a complete “cleaning of the house” was more in order.

Vote them all out; if we truly want a better tomorrow.

12:37 though the Democrats long ago first perfected those traditions and the GOP has since learned and taken them to another level.

They want to be independent and choose not to be part of a party. Being part of a party should be more than just voting.

D's nominate D"s, R's nominate R's...dont want to declare a party preference?

stfu!!

end of story

Darn good idea.

12:37 - then go start a third party, what's stopoping you?

as for this idea, no way, they wanna be independent then they don't get to vote in a candidate nominating election, and if they're from the other party then a person should just vote for their candidates or switch parties completely.

Booooooooooooo. Republicans should pick their candidate, Democrats should pick their candidate. If a voter doesn't want to affiliate with a party he or she should not have the privilege of influencing that party's selection of a candidate.

[jackie]

The politicians in Florida are incompetent. An arcane tax system. Florida is backwards, arcane thinking, arcane election laws, arcane, corrupt politicians. Look at the Governor, he looks like a mummy.

This is not, and never was intended to be, a Democracy....we are a Republic which is based on a representative form of government...this trend towards everyone voting on every issue is a move towards pure democracy...that is a system that cannot be sustained....why don't we just do away with registration...let everyone vote on-line (citizens, tourist, illegal aliens, prisoners)...we will get some great candidates under such a system....