Below are the voting numbers as of May 8, 20232, for both NorCo and Lehigh, compared to what they were in 2016, when Trump was elected President. As you can see, the number of independents has increased significantly in both counties. But on Tuesday, all 86,939 of them will be denied the right to vote. The best way to stop the continued polarization of extreme left and extreme right candidates in this country is by opening the primaries to independents.
Northampton County
Total: 217,606, compared to 211,402 in 2016.
Democrats: 96,772, compared to 99,075 in 2016. Democrats account for 44.5% of the total registration, compared to 47% in 2016.
Republicans: 79,916, compared to 73,473 in 2016. Republican registration increased from 34.8% to 36.7% of the total registration.
Other: 41,918, compared to 38,854 in 2016. Independents increased from 18.4% to 19.3% of the total number of registered voters.
Lehigh County
Total: 240,332, compared to 236.081 in 2016.
Democrats: 111,968, compared to 115,745 in 2016. Democrats account for 46.6% of the total registration, compared to 49% in 2016.
Republicans: 83,343, compared to 80,623 in 2016. Republicans account for 34.7% of the total registration, compared to 34.2% in 2016.
Other: 45,021, compared to 39,713 in 2016. Independents account for 18.7% of the total registration, compared to 16.8% in 2016.
11 comments:
I understand and appreciate your larger point, but it is important to note that some independent voters may have ballot questions available to them to vote on Tuesday. This includes a fairly significant question in Whitehall Township that would replace the elected treasurer with one appointed by the board of commissioners.
Tough shit. Get off the namby-pamby "independent" fence and pick the party that most coincides with your worldview. Case in point: I am strongly prolife and would never knowingly vote for a baby killer . Therefore, I'm 99.98% Republican.
The primaries should be open to everyone! The closed primaries are contributing to the political divide in this country. I wish they would open them up to everyone.
This is why I won't change party affiliation. I'm registered Democrat but vote for the person, not the party. I wouldn't be able to vote in the Primary if I changed parties.
Rep should select Rep and Dem should select Dem. If the Ind want to vote in the primary register for one of the parties. Primaries are intended to select the Party candidate.
Evidently, both the Democrat and Republican Party are private corporations not controlled by the Federal government. Each can disregard the winner of the Primary vote and insert anyone else as their official candidate. If true, we could see a Biden (too incapable) or a Trump (too controversial) garnering the greatest number of votes and being rejected by the Party hierarchy in favor of an ‘anointed’ alternate. You know, because the actual highest vote getter “ isn’t who we really are, “ nonsense. I could see this tactic used against Trump as Trump is clearly a disrupter to what is, in reality, one big UniParty that works together. I am registered as No Party.
It is hard to forecast what a primary turnout would be like if open, would only registered "other" select party that day or would Ds and Rs get to change for a day? What would enhance local choices would be every election lower than State would be truly nonpartisan with the top few moving to general regardless of party, with everyone able to vote for all in primary.
BernieOHare, 9:10 is full of shit! Party bosses have no power to reject a candidate elected in the primary.
Nobody is being disenfranchised.
You don’t go into Taco Bell to order a Big Mac. If you do, you are told where to go get your Big Mac, or you choose something else on the menu.
People make a choice not to register with one of the parties. They are not being excluded from joining.
As to the falsehood that open primaries will keep out the extremes, look no further than the open primaries of California. They have been used to protect the extreme and take away a choice in the general elections.
Your point is valid, Bernie, but the question of open v closed primaries is insignificant compared to gerrymandering. Voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way round! If we elected people from contested districts, we'd avoid the worst aspects of polarization driven by the extreme elements of both parties.
Bottom line is we need a 3rd party like other Countries. I don't care what you call it, The Moderate Party, The Centrist party etc. There are more of us in the middle of the political spectrum than to the far left or far right. Shit would get done!
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