Politics & Government
Think You Are Ready For The Primaries? Guess Again…
Many California voters who have chosen to register as independent with the advent of open primaries may find themselves disenfranchised from the presidential primary vote.
The 'Top Two candidates Open Primary Act' now allows Californians to vote for whichever candidate they prefer, regardless of party. But what many voters do not know is that this act does not affect the presidential primary.
From the California Secretary of State website:
"On June 8, 2010, California voters approved Proposition 14, which created the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act. Except for the office of U.S. President and county central committee offices, offices that used to be known as "partisan offices" (e.g., state constitutional offices, U.S. Congress, and state legislative offices) are now known as "voter-nominated" offices ... Under the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running in a primary election, regardless of their party preference, will appear on a single Primary Election ballot and voters can vote for any candidate."
Voters who have a preference for presidential candidates, and wish to cast their vote at the June 5 primary, have just three days left to choose their party affiliation. The last day to register for the California primary election is May 21.
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Registration forms can be picked up at the , or local Registrar of Voters. Voters can also fill out the form online, but the form will not be valid until it is pirnted out, signed and returned to the Registrar of Voters office.
