Letters-to-the-editor: Open Primaries: Ci-126 Is Dangerous To Montana's Election Process
Author: Shirley Miller
Regarding Open Primaries:
CI-126 is dangerous to Montana's election process
CI-126 would transform Montana politics as we know it. It requires by law that the top 4 primary candidates, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.
CI-126 weakens our political parties and attacks the voices of Montanans. Parties are free associations of like-minded citizens working together to support candidates who represent their policies and values. Parties help translate the will of the people into political results. Likewise, primaries allow voters who support a political party to choose their nominee for the general election. CI-126 strips away this right by allowing Democrats to run as Republican candidates, and vice versa, undermining the average voter’s ability to participate in the political process in an effective way.
In a system where twice as many candidates qualify for the general election, campaign costs will inevitably increase as candidates need to spend more to remain competitive. It also means more special interest groups fighting for voters’ attention, likely leading to more polarized campaigns.
CI-126 represents a radical experiment that would make political campaigns more dependent on special interest money and less accountable to the average voter.
Voters who want to keep politics about the concerns of everyday Montanans should vote No on CI-126.
Shirley Miller
