Local Primary Election in MO

[J&D Cattle]

Question. At your local primary election do you have to declare a party when selecting your ballot? I've always found it odd that members of our tiny city & county have to pick a party when running for office. I can understand picking a party at the state & federal level but not the local level. There are several people whom I won't get to vote for at a local level due to the requirement that I pick a specific party ballot.

Not sure if this is a MO thing or not.

 

[slick4591]

Yes, we also have to select a party. We also have to stay in that same party when there are runoffs.

 

[M5farm]

same in florida. Our county has voted predominantly R in last 3 elections but most are registered D because most locals run under the D. I and R don't get to vote in primary.

 

[Isomade]

Same here

 

[CottageFarm]

yes, the rules are determined by the State.
Some will allow those registered as an Independent to vote in either (sometimes both) party primary.

 

[backhoeboogie]

It gets really interesting when a candidate for an office running under one party votes in the primary for the other party. It sure puts a black eye on the campaign. It has happened three times in local elections (that I am aware of).

 

[CottageFarm]

It gets really interesting when a candidate for an office running under one party votes in the primary for the other party. It sure puts a black eye on the campaign. It has happened three times in local elections (that I am aware of).

:lol: :lol:
I had to go have a smoke to ponder that for a few minutes....That sure makes for.....interesting ?! politics
:lol: :lol:

 

[dun]

We have 11 people running for sherrif so I went and got a sample ballot so I would know what was going on when I got to the booth. Turns out we have 5 different ballots, R, D, I, Liberatarian and no preference which doesn;t have anything but the non-office type of stuff. So I just made up my own to take with me

 

[Anonymous]

The reason you're only allowed to vote your party on primaries is because if you were on the opposing party, Anouilh like minded people could feasibly vote in a lesser candidate. Basically sabotaging the election for their opponent

 

[Bigfoot]

Here in my county the local democratic primary is the election. No registered republicans or independents run. If your not a registered democrat you basically can't vote in local politics. However, in my lifetime our county has never failed to vote an overwhelming majority for the republican candidate for president. I guess everybody registers democrat for local purposes, and votes conservative for national elections.

 

[Ouachita]

In Arkansas, we don't register party affiliation. We do have to choose either the republican or democratic ballot in the primary. This can be used to your parties advantage, if enough people are on board. A classic example was the defeat of incumbent dem Blanche Lincoln. The republican challenger, Boozman (gotta love the name) was a certain win against Lincoln, but not against Lincoln's primary dem challenger. I participated in the effort to get republicans to choose the democrat primary ballot and vote FOR Lincoln. It worked great. She lost. Landslide victory for Boozman

 

[TexasBred]

In Arkansas, we don't register party affiliation. We do have to choose either the republican or democratic ballot in the primary. This can be used to your parties advantage, if enough people are on board. A classic example was the defeat of incumbent dem Blanche Lincoln. The republican challenger, Boozman (gotta love the name) was a certain win against Lincoln, but not against Lincoln's primary dem challenger. I participated in the effort to get republicans to choose the democrat primary ballot and vote FOR Lincoln. It worked great. She lost. Landslide victory for Boozman

Same here...you just decide which primary you want to vote in and vote. In '08 I voted in the Dem. Primary just so I could vote against Obama...voted Repub. in general election.

I hate folks that vote straight ticket. An old boy ran for county treasuer in '08 election on republican ticket and got elected by people voting straight ticket against Obama. He hardly knows how to sign his name....County had to hire an assistant who does 90% of the old boys job while he gets the salary.

 

[VanC]

In Arkansas, we don't register party affiliation. We do have to choose either the republican or democratic ballot in the primary. This can be used to your parties advantage, if enough people are on board. A classic example was the defeat of incumbent dem Blanche Lincoln. The republican challenger, Boozman (gotta love the name) was a certain win against Lincoln, but not against Lincoln's primary dem challenger. I participated in the effort to get republicans to choose the democrat primary ballot and vote FOR Lincoln. It worked great. She lost. Landslide victory for Boozman

Same here. Crossover campaigns as you described aren't uncommon here.

TB: They did away with the straight ticket on the ballot here quite a few years ago. You can still vote a straight ticket, of course, but you have to vote for each candidate instead of just once.

It's sad to think that there are millions of Americans out there that don't have a clue what we're talking about.

 

[Ouachita]

In Arkansas, we don't register party affiliation. We do have to choose either the republican or democratic ballot in the primary. This can be used to your parties advantage, if enough people are on board. A classic example was the defeat of incumbent dem Blanche Lincoln. The republican challenger, Boozman (gotta love the name) was a certain win against Lincoln, but not against Lincoln's primary dem challenger. I participated in the effort to get republicans to choose the democrat primary ballot and vote FOR Lincoln. It worked great. She lost. Landslide victory for Boozman

Same here. Crossover campaigns as you described aren't uncommon here.

TB: They did away with the straight ticket on the ballot here quite a few years ago. You can still vote a straight ticket, of course, but you have to vote for each candidate instead of just once.

It's sad to think that there are millions of Americans out there that don't have a clue what we're talking about.

What's really sad is that every radical progressive I know votes, although they are by far the minority. It's the silent majority that is working everyday, thinking they are to busy to pay attention to the political arena, and vote without (or with) prejudice, if at all. Time to wake and tow the mark, or walk the line.

 

[circlew]

Same here. In our June primaries for the first time in history there were no democrats on the ballot.

 

[user1]

Tell you how I do it on elections this year. I either get a candidates opinion or ask them if they'd vote obama. If they say they'd vote obama I am not going to vote for them. I don't want their reasoning representing me.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

We do not have to vote "party" here.

 

[J&D Cattle]

An old boy ran for county treasuer in '08 election on republican ticket and got elected by people voting straight ticket against Obama. He hardly knows how to sign his name....County had to hire an assistant who does 90% of the old boys job while he gets the salary.

My point exactly, if the local elections were on a seperate or non party specific ballot you could have still voted against Obama and then voted for the "possibly qualified" candidate for county treasurer. I'll see my local State Rep and possibly Senator today or tomorrow. I'm going to try and quiz them if time allows.

 

[melking]

Our city elections are non partisan but nothing else. I still keep my "democratic" registration for just the reason hook was talking about. Several times it has helped in a local electionj to make the lesser candidate win. Remember tho that these are very small elections on a local level.