Voting booths at a vote center in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM)
I’ve been a Republican since 1972 when I was South Dakota Teen Age Republican secretary. As an adult, I was elected four times to the South Dakota House of Representatives. I was the assistant majority Leader of the Republican Caucus. And, I support Amendment H – open primaries in South Dakota.
Amendment H is simple – instead of separate primary elections based on politics, there would be one single primary for all voters. All candidates on one ballot. All voters allowed to vote. The two candidates with the most votes would advance to the general election, where all voters will decide who gets elected.
Five key arguments in favor of Amendment H:
Everyone should get to vote
The most fundamental principle of democracy is one person, one vote. Every citizen is treated equally. Yet, in South Dakota, all citizens are not treated equally in the primary election. Independents are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary, but not the Republican primary. Republicans and Democrats don’t vote if all candidates are from the other party. Tens of thousands of citizens are denied the right to vote in these elections. Amendment H guarantees that all voters get to vote. It’s true democracy in action.