I did something I never thought I’d do.

[Malthus]

@Lizard

For some reason the first thing that flashed through my head when I saw the thread title was something about having sex with a mime. That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing most people would talk about.

Of course they wouldn’t talk about it!

…

They’d just make the suitable gestures.

[ElvisL1ves]

@The_Vorlon

In the Commonwealth of Taxachusetts, the choice is Unenrolled, because we, for some strange reason, have have an Independent party.

The American Independent Party was the label Bo Gritz (quite a character, mostly not in a good way) used in his 1988 Presidential campaign, although he used the Populist label elsewhere. Voters who thought they had registered as Independent and could vote in either party’s primary instead got a ballot with only his name on it.

[muldoonthief]

Amusingly, Massachusetts currently recognizes 3 different Independent parties, the American Independent party (which shares a contact number & person with the Conservative party), the Massachusetts Independent party, and the United Independent party. There’s also the Pirate party and Pizza party. You can vote in any primary if you register as any of those however.

[ElvisL1ves]

Two different Green parties on the list. Shouldn’t be surprising.

[Shoeless]

@Bayard

Thanks for your post and your upcoming participation in the primaries, Airman.

As to the hijack – I think more states are moving to open primaries these days. Here in Missouri, you don’t have to declare a party when you register. You just ask for the ballot of whatever party you want to vote for in the primary. I’m effectively a Democrat in that I give them money and only ever vote in their primaries, but I don’t think I’m on a list as being an actual member of that party (unless by donating I ticked some box to be enrolled as a member; and if so, where the hell is my card and my benefits?!)

In Kansas you can only vote in the primary if you are declared for that party. And IIRC, Kansas passed legislation before the last election lengthening the amount of time between when you register your party affiliation and the date of the election. Apparently they were afraid a bunch of Democrats were going to try to register as Republicans at the last minute so that they could primary out the crazy Tea Party candidates.

[Voyager]

@ElvisL1ves

They aren’t. Declaring a party affiliation only lets you vote in that party’s primary elections, in which its candidates are chosen for the general election, the “real” one. Even that’s not required in states with open primaries, where a voter can pick either party (but only one) to vote in. The motor vehicle department handles it in some states purely as a convenience, since they manage a big database already.

In California open or closed primaries are decided by the party. Cite. Though it is more complicated now for state offices which no longer have party-based primaries. The Republicans had closed primaries, while those of the Democrats were open.

[Voyager]

@peedin

I switched after G.W. Never made an official announcement but family and friends know where I stand.

In 2000, not believing that the Republicans could have nominated such an idiot, I voted for my first Democrat for president since I started voting in 1972. I switched parties soon after, when the evidence showed I was right.

[PatriotGrrrl]

In New Hampshire, when you show up for the primary election they ask you which ballot you want and they change your registration to match. After you vote, on the way out there is another desk (with a relatively long line) where you can change your registration back to independent (or whatever party you want, I guess).

[China_Guy]

Airman, as you have discovered, life is a journey. IIRC you went to Iraq, no? At least you were in the reserves, was called up and did something. I remember seeing photos of a pukey drunk reservist taken out by some Dopers ahead of putting on the uniform. And you met MsRobyn from the boards and now have at least 1 child together. (I might have missed a highlight or three so please correct me if that is the case). All that plus Trump and color me unsurprised you registered as a Democrat. Good on ya for your life choices and where you are today vs where you were when you joined the Dope. Fight the power!

[lel]

I registered as a Republican for 14 years. The day after Trump was elected, I registered as an Independent. I can’t stomach aligning myself with a party that can choose Trump.

[Mtgman]

Or Airman forgot to logout and MsRobyn is pulling our legs…

For the most part I feel the same way about primaries/caucuses that you did Airman, I wasn’t interested in them. I don’t have a party affiliation and don’t bother with primaries. I live in Texas, which doesn’t have closed primaries, and doesn’t record party affiliation with your driver’s license. That having been said, Texas is a very Gerrymandered state and they don’t need your party affiliation because they can use voting records of precincts to draw district lines if they so choose. Texas may be headed back down the path to Federal oversight of redistricting in the near future, depending on the outcome of a couple pending court cases.

But I’m coming to view the primaries as the real elections, and the actual elections as political theatre. This past Presidential cycle I voted in the Republican primary because I did not want Donald Trump to win the primary. Que Sera Sera, but I’m paying more attention to primaries these days. I’m beginning to think George Washington was smarter than I ever knew, and I knew he was a smart feller.

@George Washington

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

FAREWELL ADDRESS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1796

Between what the Dems did to Bernie, and how the Republicans foisted Trump off on us, it’s becoming clear to me that party activity is where the real political power resides. After seeing wave after wave of senators and other Congresscritters refuse to run for re-election, and seeing Trump basically doing a hostile takeover of the Republican party, the quote from Washington resonates with me even more.

Enjoy,
Steven

[Max_Torque]

Elaborating a bit on Texas: here, we just register, we don’t declare a party affiliation. When you vote in a party’s primary, you are “affiliated” with that party for the election cycle.

This has led to some interesting consequences: in 2002, there was a county court judge, running unopposed as a Democrat, who decided to help a friend out by voting in the Republican primary. When this was discovered, he was declared ineligible to appear on the ballot as a Democratic candidate, because he was affiliated with the Republican party as a result of his vote. He couldn’t change parties and run as an independent or even as a write-in candidate. Moral of the story: one vote can make a difference.

(the Texas Supreme Court’s decision is at Cullar v. Hodges, 92 S.W.3d 489, if you’re interested.)