Maryland Primary Elections: Ripe for Change?

The electoral landscape in Maryland is changing as voters registering as unaffiliated with a political party are on the rise.  And yet, those voters are locked out of participating in our state-funded primaries unless the principal political parties allow them to vote on their party’s ballot. This has happened only once, in 2000, when the Republican Party allowed unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary election; for that primary, over 51,000 unafilliated voters participated.  Maybe it’s time for Marylanders to review their options and decide if their voting systems need to evolve with the times.

Join us for a public information session on the Maryland primary election system.  Hear the findings of a two-year study of the issues and discuss their implications.  Then join in as we consider how best to evaluate election systems and deal with issues related to candidate selection and access to the ballot.  This will be a thought-provoking evening!  Light refreshments will be served.

"One of the greatest things about American democracy is that we not only get to choose our leaders, we can propose changes to ensure that the selection process is fair" says Ralph Watkins, Vice President for Voters Service, League of Women Voters, Maryland and a resource person for the session.

Democracy is a participatory process; help decide if the Maryland primary system is ripe for change and give your input on how best to change it.