Dear Neighbors,
Today the Government Operations Committee on which I serve, passed legislation to create a presidential primary in Minnesota. After our time-consuming, crowded and hot caucuses earlier this month, I was eager to move legislation that would make this civic process easier to select our presidential nominees using a primary, instead of the caucus system.
However, the bill that passed, authored by Representative Tim Sanders, has a key provision with which I do not agree. It creates a “closed” primary and requires people to commit to a Democratic or Republican ballot. The citizen would then have to sign that he or she agrees with the majority of that political party’s platform. Additionally, that voter’s choice would become public information.
Minnesota has almost always led the country in civic engagement and voter participation. We have enjoyed the ability to vote for who we think is the best person to be our next president because of who he or she is and his or her policies, not solely because he or she belongs to a certain political party. The state’s strong voting turnout is something of which we should be proud; it’s important we honor and value the privacy of our voting records.
It is estimated to cost taxpayers $5-6 million dollars every four years when we have the presidential primary. And it is quite likely there will be uncovered costs handled by the cities and counties that will be paid by local taxes. Our taxpayers fund our elections and ought to have this privacy right as a voting citizen.
In committee, I offered an amendment to the proposed bill that would create an open primary system; open for the Minnesota citizen to privately vote for the party of his or her choice. This is a workable option. Fifteen other states have prioritized privacy in their presidential primary. Unfortunately, Republicans voted my amendment down.
I will continue to fight for a compromise on a transition toward a presidential primary, however I do not want to lose our ability to maintain private balloting when we are the ones paying for the election.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on this important matter. I welcome your input anytime and can be reached at 651-296-4331 or via email at rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Laine
State Representative