How are we kept out?
In Montgomery County, an example of the problem at it's worst, elections are decided by roughly 8% of the population (or 14% of registered voters) who
vote in party primaries,
AND NONE OF THESE VOTERS ARE INDEPENDENTS.
If you are not a member of the dominant party - nearly 40% of voters - your voice is silenced. Meanwhile
all Maryland taxpayers pay for the party primaries, though nearly 20% of the population can't vote in them.
Consider these two arguments:
The Maryland Constitution, in Article 1, Section 1 says that all voters have the right to
vote in all elections, but independents can't vote in primaries. In some
counties party primaries nearly always determines who will be elected, so your vote doesn't count -
even in the general election. And if the two major parties are more in balance, you still
have no say in who is on the ballot in November. Something is wrong, and politicians know it.
Party primaries have served their purpose and are on the way out. Though national and state elections
are dominated by parties, local elections do not need party politics, and party primaries do NOT
help us in Maryland. In fact, they don't help anywhere any longer. National, state, and sadly, much of county politics
is trapped in divisive rhetoric and independent voters are the response to, and the path toward, a better system.