Newsletter
Posted by jesse shayne on September 20, 2016 at 4:47 PM
September 20, 2016
South Dakota -- Vote Yes on V
A coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and independents have come together to enact public, nonpartisan primaries in South Dakota. Amendment V will be on the ballot this November and the political establishment in South Dakota is up in arms. The last thing they want to see is the people come together across party lines to change the system so that the voters, not the parties, have the power.
You can help. Every dollar given to Vote Yes on V will be matched 2-to-1 by Open Primaries. Click here to donate.
Read more about the Yes on V campaign:
- A Republican supporting Yes on V
- A Democrat supporting Yes on V
- An independent supporting Yes on V
- A newspaper editorial board supporting Yes on V
For those who aren’t familiar with Vote Yes on V:
Sabotage in Colorado!
Let Colorado Vote is leading the charge to open their state’s electoral process, and legislators from both parties are afraid. So last week, state lawmakers made substantial amendments to the state’s official voter guide in regards to both of Let Colorado Vote’s ballot provisions -- one that would open the state and federal primary to independent voters, and another that would replace the presidential caucus with an open primary.
- Read Jackie Salit and Gwen Ballard’s letter urging Governor Hickenlooper to step in
- Read John Opdycke’s editorial in Newsweek about this sabotage
- Read the Boulder Daily Camera’s editorial exposing the legislature’s dirty tricks
Let Colorado Vote is getting ready to launch a statewide advertising campaign in support of the effort. Please sign up for their email list, tell everyone you know in Colorado to vote yes, and make a donation.
Nonpartisan Primaries in Virginia
Virginia General Assembly Delegate and Open Primaries supporter, Sam Rasoul (pictured on the right at our NCSL booth earlier this year) introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow for public, nonpartisan primaries. This, of course, coming in a year when 100% of incumbents were reelected in his state. Rasoul co-authored an opinion piece with Open Primaries Senior Vice President Jeremy Gruber, detailing his rationale behind the bill:
"Last year in Virginia, 93 percent of primary races for state legislative office fielded candidates who ran unopposed, and every member of the state legislature was re-elected in the general election: the worst record for competitive elections in the entire country."
AARP and League of Women Voters Endorse Vote Yes on V in South Dakota
Last week, two important organizations stood up and supported Amendment V in South Dakota. Watch the video here:
