Reed asks voters to participate in state primaries

Sec. of State voices displeasure with new system, still calls on citizens to vote

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed said that he understood how voters might feel the new primary system restricts their freedom, but said that the system is "the law of the land," and citizens must participate.

"It would be a mistake to protest (against the new primaries) by not voting," he said.

The new primary elections system, known as the "Modified Montana" system, requires that voters pick a partisan ballot and vote only on the candidates of that ballot, be it Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or nonpartisan. Voting across party lines is not allowed.

The system prior to the Modified Montana, known as the "blanket primary" was Washington state's primary of choice for seven decades, until it was declared unconstitutional in 2003. The blanket primary allowed voters to vote across party lines.

The change to a Modified Montana, opposed by the State Legislature but endorsed by political parties, has upset voters throughout the state, Reed said.

"Having a wide open primary really worked well for Washington state," he said. "Washingtonians tend to be more practical and not very narrow in terms of ideology."

He added that the blanket primary system really fit state voters well, and that after 70 years, the blanket primary was part of the state's political heritage and culture.

Angry as voters are, Reed said, they would be making a mistake by not voting in protest, as several important races are in play this Sept. 14, he said.

Among them are the primary races for governor, state attorney general, and U.S. Representative for the state's Fifth Congressional District, as well as many judgeships, state Legislature seats and county commission spots all over Washington.

"I encourage voters not to take their anger out on the primary by refusing to vote," he said, adding that there will be an initiative they can vote on in November, if they want to change the Modified Montana system for a Top-Two system, which is more similar to the blanket primary.

The Top-Two system allows voters to vote across party lines, with the top two vote getters, regardless of party moving on to the November election. Reed said he advocated this system, and so did the state Legislature, but Gov. Gary Locke partially vetoed it, favoring a Modified Montana system instead.

Initiative 872, sponsored by the Washington State Grange, hopes to do away with the Modified Montana and install the Top-Two primary.

"I support that initiative," Reed said. "It would do a good job to return us back to the system we had before this year."

The secretary of state said he expected I-872 to pass overwhelmingly in November.

The voters' opposition to the Modified Montana primary, Reed said, is a good sign, as it shows that people have "a lot of passion" about the switch.

Nevertheless, until then, the Modified Montana primary is in place, Reed said, and he is determined to execute the primary as successfully as possible.

"We took an oath to uphold the laws of the state," he said. "And now (the Montana Modified primary) is the law."

Educating people about the new primary, and thus avoiding people using their ballots incorrectly has been the focus of a statewide campaign pushed by Reed's office.

Brochures mailed to every voter in the state, alongside TV and radio ads have been part of this campaign, which Reed said he hopes will explain the ins and outs of the new system.

For instance, despite the fact that voters will have to pick a ballot, party preference will be kept secret, with no records made of it. Registration with a party is unnecessary.

A number of nonpartisan races will appear in the back of each partisan ballot. These races are not to be confused with the ones in the partisan ballot, which is only to be used if people refuse to pick a party ballot.

Also, in November, voters will once again be able to vote across party lines. They only have to pick a ballot this primary election.

Reed said he was cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the education campaign.

"I am afraid we still are going to have people shocked when they receive the ballot," he said. "It is important they read the directions and vote correctly."