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RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION Finance and Accounting Charles E. Gillman Company Accounting Specialist Administrative & Professional Tucson Urban League CEO/President Administrative & Professional Jorgensen Brooks Group Counselor Mechanical Komatsu Equipment Co Resident Field Mechanic Sales and Marketing Everready Glass Sales Reps Tucson RegionLast-ditch efforts seek to open up primariesWould allow independents to take part in Arizona vote
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.08.2008
PHOENIX — Responding to complaints from many of Arizona's 755,000 independent voters about being shut out of next month's presidential preference election, the head of the Senate Government Committee wants a last-ditch change in the rules.
Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, introduced legislation Monday to let the 28 percent of Arizona voters not registered as Democrats or Republicans cast ballots on Feb. 5.
Harper said there is no reason to disenfranchise that many voters.
His proposal doesn't stop at just letting independents vote in one of the party primaries. It would also let Republicans vote in the Democrat primary.
However, Democrats, described by Harper as "people who would burn American flags in front of American soldiers and call that free speech," would not have the same crossover ability — although he later said he is willing to alter that provision to treat both parties the same.
Harper isn't the only lawmaker looking to open the primaries. Rep. Mark DeSimone, a Phoenix Democrat, is working on similar legislation.
But the push may be too little, too late — assuming it's constitutional in the first place. Kevin Tyne, deputy secretary of state, said it could be impossible to make the change so close to the election.
Even if lawmakers and Gov. Janet Napolitano approve the measure promptly after the legislative session starts next week, any change in Arizona election law must be cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice, which can take up to 60 days.
Harper said he thinks having independents vote is good for them, and his Republican Party.
He says independents like candidates who are "authentic," which he is sure will favor former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom Harper supports.
Emily Bittner, publicist for the state Democrat Party, said Democrats would welcome independent participation.
Harper's own party, however, is less open to the idea.
State GOP Chairman Randy Pullen said, "If they want to participate in the Republican presidential preference primary, they can register to vote Republican."
Pullen said if Harper or DeSimone are successful in changing the law, he may pull Republicans out of the Feb. 5 election and instead have the party select its delegates at a convention, as they did four years ago when, with an incumbent in the White House, the GOP chose to sit out the election.
That may not be possible this time around, though. Tyne said officials from both parties already have agreed to participate in the Feb. 5 vote. In fact, 24 Republicans and an equal number of Democrats already have their names on the ballots.
Tyne said, though, the entire debate could be academic.
He said a formal legal opinion issued in 1999 by Napolitano — then the state attorney general — said the open primary provisions of Arizona's Constitution apply only to elections for state and legislative offices.
That means opening up the presidential primary to independents will require voters to approve a constitutional amendment, he said.
Get up-to-the-minute news from the New Hampshire primary at www.azstarnet.com.
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