By Tom Johnson
Published February 24th 2009 in The City Paper
Regarding A.C. Kleinheider’s column ["Don't close open primaries," Feb. 19]: As much as I despise the two-party stranglehold on government and long for the day when Independents are the norm, I recognize parties' right to exist.
I also recognize their right to choose their candidates however they want to. I do not feel entitled to have a say in whom a party nominates, even though that party might strategically be well-advised to gauge candidates' standing among us Independents. I say let each party decide whether or not to extend its Tennessee primary vote beyond its membership.
At the same time, Kleinheider need not be so resigned to our being "stuck with the two-party system." If we used instant runoffs, voters would be far less inhibited from expressing their true preferences on the ballot — even if the candidate they consider best is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. This voting system, which was adopted last year in Memphis, could be applied to statewide races to make the field truly competitive, which is to say having more than two viable choices.
I also recognize their right to choose their candidates however they want to. I do not feel entitled to have a say in whom a party nominates, even though that party might strategically be well-advised to gauge candidates' standing among us Independents. I say let each party decide whether or not to extend its Tennessee primary vote beyond its membership.
At the same time, Kleinheider need not be so resigned to our being "stuck with the two-party system." If we used instant runoffs, voters would be far less inhibited from expressing their true preferences on the ballot — even if the candidate they consider best is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. This voting system, which was adopted last year in Memphis, could be applied to statewide races to make the field truly competitive, which is to say having more than two viable choices.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.