Open Primaries?

[micrometers]

Okay, I don't get the thing about open primaries.

I mean, the Republican party and the Democratic party are basically private organizations, right? So if the organization decides that the way they're going to select candidates is through a vote, well, the consequence for like Mike Castle losing to Christine O'Donnell is that he can't have the Republican party organization backing him, but he could still have run independently, right?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Nothing prevents a person from getting on the ballot as long as they have the proper amount of voter signatures.

 

[DCal430]

Nothing prevents a person from getting on the ballot as long as they have the proper amount of voter signatures.

Not in California.

Here we have a top 2 Open Primary System. Everyone votes for anyone they want, and only the top 2 vote getters will advance to the November election. The top 2 can be from the same party or two different parties. We actually have congressional districts in California were two democrats or two republics are running against each other in November.

Those two candidates are the ONLY valid candidates, and no other candidate is permitted to run, and no other candidate name may be written in. Even if one candidate drops out, no other candidate may enter, even if one dies, again no other candidate may enter.

This November their are ZERO third parties on the ballot for Congress, Senate, or State Legislator in California. None of them were able to qualify.

The ONLY exception is for the office of the president, which is closed.

 

[DaveSimmons]

OK then: Nothing prevents them getting on the [ primary ] ballot.

 

[EagleKeeper]

As my above esteemed colleague from the great state of Washington states:

Get on the Primary ballot
Convince enough voters of your message
Advance to the final ballot.

Party affiliation does not matter.
But if you can not convince enough people; then it is your fault, not the party system.