The Advocate. January 18, 2024.
Editorial: Lawmakers should reject expensive and unfair closed party primary system
State lawmakers have only one deadline looming in the current special legislative session: the court-ordered creation of a second majority-Black congressional district by Jan. 30. That itself is a tall order in just eight days, even with Gov. Jeff Landry supporting the change.
What lawmakers do not need to do in a frenzied rush is make drastic changes to Louisiana’s election laws — and particularly to revert to an antiquated, costly system of closed party primaries.
No court has ordered such a change, nor does any pending litigation seek it. It’s a purely political move by Landry and his allies, including leaders of the state Republican Party, who seem determined to ram the idea through the special session with no advance notice.
We hope they don’t succeed, and we’re far from alone.
The nonpartisan Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, called the proposal an “unnecessary switch” and a “move backward” that would cost millions more every year.
According to the Council for A Better Louisiana, another nonpartisan watchdog, only 15 states use some form of closed primaries; the rest use open primary systems.
Contrary to what Landry has said, Louisiana is clearly in the mainstream on this issue. We should stay there.
It’s noteworthy that Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who supported Landry for governor, opposes closed primaries. Cassidy says Louisiana shouldn’t “abandon the system that has worked for something that doesn’t” and adds that a closed primary will make the GOP resemble a country club.
“It disenfranchises more than 800,000 Louisianans who are ‘no party,’” Cassidy said in a video. “Right now, (no-party independents) typically vote Republican. And some Democrats vote Republican. But the people who are supporting this are saying, ‘Sorry, you’re not in our club. We’re not gonna let you in. ... The country club door is closed.’”
Louisiana voters overwhelmingly agree with Cassidy, according to a recent statewide survey by Republican pollster John Couvillon.
Couvillon says 65% of voters favor the current system, while only 20% oppose it. Moreover, 56% oppose ditching the current system in favor of closed primaries, while only 26% favor it.
Proponents of the idea say it would allow members of the political parties to elect candidates who reflect their views. But there’s no reason to think that they can’t already. Indeed, Landry and fellow Republican conservatives had a banner year at the polls in 2023 under existing rules.
“It’s hard to understand why legislators would want to support moving away from the system that got them elected,” noted PAR. “Explaining to voters why this issue came before so many other pressing problems, such as crime, insurance rates, illiteracy and workforce needs will be difficult.”
Indeed. Lawmakers should put their constituents first and keep Louisiana’s elections system in place. It’s fairer, it costs less, and voters overwhelmingly prefer it.
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