Chief
07-10-2008, 05:26 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1215654914100970.xml&coll=7
Vote - An official cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in his decision to go ahead
Thursday, July 10, 2008
CURT WOODWARD
OLYMPIA -- Washington's top elections official has rejected new calls by political parties to suspend next month's "top-two" primary, saying a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision puts the state's primary plans on solid legal ground.
Party officials objected to the primary plans this week, saying their legal battle is not over -- even though the high court upheld the top-two system in March.
Continuing with the planned top-two primary "will expose all of the results to challenge, potentially wasting significant taxpayer resources on elections that have to be redone," Democratic lawyer David McDonald wrote to state officials.
"As we have previously advised you: this litigation is not over," Republican lawyer John White Jr. wrote in a separate letter.
State Libertarian Party officials issued similar objections in a public statement.
But Secretary of State Sam Reed, who administers state elections, brushed aside those complaints Tuesday.
"I really believe that the top-two primary is here to stay," Reed said. "I understand the parties not liking it. I understand them wishing that weren't so. But we have the United States Supreme Court making that decision."
Washington's primary elections have a tortured recent history.
Voters used a popular "blanket" primary, which allowed them to skip across party lines, for about 70 years. But the system was nullified in 2000, when the Supreme Court ruled that California's similar primary was an unconstitutional intrusion on parties' right to choose their nominees.
Washington shifted to a "pick-a-party" primary that required voters to restrict themselves to one party's line of candidates. It was hugely unpopular, and voters quickly approved a top-two replacement system in 2004.
It never took effect because of lengthy challenges by the parties. But March's Supreme Court ruling declared that the top-two system isn't a nominating process, picking one Democrat and one Republican for the finals, but rather a winnowing, qualifying election.
The first top-two primary is scheduled for Aug. 19, when voters will pick finalists for governor, Congress, the judiciary and Legislature. All candidates will appear on the same ballot, and the top-two finishers will advance to the general election, regardless of party.
Hopefully that is settled for a while...
Vote - An official cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in his decision to go ahead
Thursday, July 10, 2008
CURT WOODWARD
OLYMPIA -- Washington's top elections official has rejected new calls by political parties to suspend next month's "top-two" primary, saying a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision puts the state's primary plans on solid legal ground.
Party officials objected to the primary plans this week, saying their legal battle is not over -- even though the high court upheld the top-two system in March.
Continuing with the planned top-two primary "will expose all of the results to challenge, potentially wasting significant taxpayer resources on elections that have to be redone," Democratic lawyer David McDonald wrote to state officials.
"As we have previously advised you: this litigation is not over," Republican lawyer John White Jr. wrote in a separate letter.
State Libertarian Party officials issued similar objections in a public statement.
But Secretary of State Sam Reed, who administers state elections, brushed aside those complaints Tuesday.
"I really believe that the top-two primary is here to stay," Reed said. "I understand the parties not liking it. I understand them wishing that weren't so. But we have the United States Supreme Court making that decision."
Washington's primary elections have a tortured recent history.
Voters used a popular "blanket" primary, which allowed them to skip across party lines, for about 70 years. But the system was nullified in 2000, when the Supreme Court ruled that California's similar primary was an unconstitutional intrusion on parties' right to choose their nominees.
Washington shifted to a "pick-a-party" primary that required voters to restrict themselves to one party's line of candidates. It was hugely unpopular, and voters quickly approved a top-two replacement system in 2004.
It never took effect because of lengthy challenges by the parties. But March's Supreme Court ruling declared that the top-two system isn't a nominating process, picking one Democrat and one Republican for the finals, but rather a winnowing, qualifying election.
The first top-two primary is scheduled for Aug. 19, when voters will pick finalists for governor, Congress, the judiciary and Legislature. All candidates will appear on the same ballot, and the top-two finishers will advance to the general election, regardless of party.
Hopefully that is settled for a while...