Editorial: Don't Discount the Weight of Primaries

The United States has one of the lowest voter participation rates of any advanced democratic nation. Just over half of eligible voters even participate in presidential elections, and participation drops considerably as you go down ballot.

Non-presidential or "mid-term" elections are higher than off-year elections, because congressional (and sometimes gubernatorial) seats are up, but they are still generally much lower, typically 36-40% in Florida. Primaries always see less participation and follow the same relative trend.

That means that this month's primary, by historical numbers, is only likely to see turnout in the low 20's, meaning that approximately 1 in 5 eligible voters will, to a large degree, decide the fate of our leadership. Shame on us.

If you feel that primaries are not as important as the general election, please consider the following:

• School board elections are now contested on the primary ballot, rather than the general direction. If you do not vote this month, you will have no say on your representation to the board of the largest government body (in terms of budget and employees) in your county.

• Open primaries decide the fate of the general election. If there is no other candidate that has qualified for the general election and no write-in candidate, any registered voter can participate in a race. Manatee County Commission District 2 is an example. The Primary ballot is the only chance voters in this district will have to decide their elected leadership.     

• Primary elections give you a greater say. Many disenfranchised voters complain that too often, none of the candidates in a general election are worth voting for. Consider this – studies show that the lower the participation, the larger the share of the turnout that is forged by either party's base. I have always felt that this phenomenon produces November candidates that are less likely to be representative of the majority. Either base tends to be more idealogical and much further to the right or left than the rest of the country. This results in a nation of mostly moderates having to choose between a far more conservative or far more liberal representative. Strong primary participation could help change that.

So, get off of the couch and get to the polls. With early voting, there really is no excuse to sit out the most important part of the process – deciding which candidates will be on the fall ballot. Participate in democracy – Vote!  

Click here to view the Bradenton Times Voter's Guide

Click here for information on voting in Manatee County