This morning Primary Election voting began here in North Carolina. If you’re an independent voter in my state, you can ask at the polls for a ballot from any organized political party, either Democratic, Republican or Libertarian.
Two days ago a friend who is registered as independent asked me a question that I can’t stop thinking about. She emailed,
As an independent voter, I’m wondering if I could vote Republican for the primary and only vote for Haley for president to split the ticket, to make it harder for Trump. Then in November, I will vote straight Democratic. Would that be helpful or not?
First, as a Democrat, I was happy she questioned her plan before acting on it. Then I called someone in Raleigh to help me convince her to reconsider it.
Jonah Garson is our First Vice Chair of the NC Democratic Party. After I read him my friend’s question, he said,
She certainly is able to that as an independent voter. But since she wants to help Democrats win in November, there are a few reasons why she should take a Democratic ballot in the Primary, and not a Republican one.
For one thing, he told me, independents who strategically vote in the opposition’s primary amount to “a drop in the bucket”. They’re not going to stop Trump.
Also, he said, voting off-party skews the data we gather and makes Democratic messaging less effective ahead of the general election in November.
“Most critically,” said Garson,
important Democratic candidates need our votes now. Look at what’s at stake here. Even the strongest, most experienced Democratic candidates can’t make it through the primaries on their own. They need your primary vote to be sure they’re on the ballot in the general election.
I believe it’s stronger by far for a Democrat, or an independent voter with democratic values, to go to the primary polls with a positive attitude. I myself feel more energy in planning to vote in the primary for the strongest Democratic candidates, than in wondering how to weaken the worst Republican ones.
I must ask you, why not let the opposition go ahead and run their most extreme, and therefore possibly weakest, candidates? Let them show their true colors. It will make the real choice more obvious to voters in November.
And why not help give our best Democratic candidates the chance to show their true colors?
At this moment in our nation’s history, there is no doubt about the intentions of both major political parties. The Republican Party has chosen a leader with clearly undemocratic, anti-American values. Why would you vote in their primary?
I’d like to ask my friend, do you really want to use the power of your vote to cross your fingers hoping for second best, such as Haley, when your vote instead can support candidates with your values, such as Joe Biden with Kamala Harris, and in North Carolina, for example, Josh Stein for Governor, Jeff Jackson for Attorney General and Allison Riggs for the NC Supreme Court?
We need to hold onto these offices in order to keep anything like political balance in the state, because democracy depends on at least two functioning parties. It probably matters to you and your family that Democratic candidates want to protect the very existence of things like public schools, women’s rights and fair voting maps.
Later, when democracy is secure again in America, we can and should argue the fine points of an independent’s negative voting strategy, along with so many other ideas.
But for now, Democratic candidates need your strong vote of confidence in the primary election, and then again in the general.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Deda, for posting this column! I have tried in vain to convince people that it is a huge mistake to try to become amateur political strategists! Please remember that the Democrats need YOU to vote for their strongest candidates who have the best chance of beating Republicans for every office!
The strategy of trying to get rid of Cawthorn in the primary only got us their strongest candidate, Chuck Edwards, on the ballot for the general election, and so he went on to win that election and now we are stuck with him 'til the cows come home. There were a lot of Republicans who couldn't stomach Cawthorn who would have voted against him in the general election, but because he wasn't on the ballot, they were happy to vote for Edwards who now will be in position to stay in office for ages--just follow the money: https://avlwatchdog.org/republican-rep-chuck-edwards-crushes-challengers-in-the-race-to-raise-and-spend-campaign-cash/
Also, there are always a number of folks on the fence about whether to bother to vote at all; they would have made the effort in order to get rid of Cawthorn, but because he wasn't on the ballot, they didn't bother to vote at all. I'm very sensitive about that topic! The Democrats need your support from DAY 1, and we ought to leave the "clever" political maneuvering to those who actually understand what will work and what won't--and lots of people were led astray with what some misguided person (whom I will not name) thought was a "clever" move. We are living with the results of that move.
One last comment: if you don't take a Democratic ballot in the primary, you are telling all those folks whose names are in down-ballot positions that you can't be bothered to vote for them, and that is a real slap in their faces! It is really HARD to run for office, in terms of time, effort, money, physical stamina and sacrifice of time with loved ones and other activities and responsibilities--added to that is all the effort that so many others have put into each candidate's campaign. Those who are willing to put themselves in that position deserve our very best support. I have physically stood behind some of our excellent candidates as the electronic screens displayed the votes, as they piled up for the opposing candidate, and when they lost, after all that effort, it was excruciating! How could you possibly feel good about knowing that YOU contributed to that end??!! Get off the fence! If you want to get Democrats elected, vote in the primary for those that give us the best chance of winning in the general election!
It's unfortunate that voters need this lesson when it comes to voting in the primary. You certainly shared valuable information, Deda. I wish voters realized how hard candidates work to have a place on their party's ballot.