OPEN PRIMARIES: Many Republicans support them

One person, one vote. Except in Idaho where the Idaho Freedom Foundation controlled Republican Party tells you to vote for people they have screened and selected. The voters don’t even get to see or talk to other primary candidates. In Kootenai County, the KCRCC saves you the trouble of thinking for yourself. Considering the elected officials the KCRCC supported at NIC, do you REALLY want them to decide?

During the last state legislative session that same group tried to pass legislation that would allow all Republican Central Committees statewide to choose candidates for you. They want to save you the trouble of voting. (It didn’t pass, but may return.) Many in the state have tried to fund an election guide so that voters can read about every candidate and decide for themselves. It has been voted down multiple times by the IFF members because they want to decide for you. The change to a Caucus system for primaries cut ALL active military stationed out of state or abroad, many working people and many with mobility issues out of the primary vote. The Republican turnout was the smallest ever.

Given the issues listed above, if anyone is destroying the primary system, it’s the KCRCC and Mr. Regan himself. How do I know these things? From Republicans who signed the Open Primaries petition. They want their votes back. Sorry Brent Regan, many Republicans support Open Primaries.

BARBARA OSTIPWKO

Coeur d’Alene