dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

'People will get very angry about this election': Wyman to boycott presidential primary

komonews.com/news/local/pick-a-party-secretary-of-state-kim-wyman-to-boycott-presidential-primary

OLYMPIA, Wash. – On March 10, Washington State will hold its presidential primary.

After SB 5273 passed the legislature last year, Washington became far more relevant in presidential politics. With the primary previously held in May, candidates had long since locked up the number of delegates to secure the nomination. Now, presidential hopefuls will be fighting for every vote in Washington State, hoping it will be the one that puts them over the top.

But also in that bill was a provision pushed by both parties: A requirement that voters select a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Their arguments pretty much boiled down to two things. Neither party wanted non-members voting for their candidates, and each wanted a publicly available list of declared party loyalists.

"Washington voters hate that," says Secretary of State Kim Wyman. "They do not want people to know their party affiliation." The State's method of picking a party-specific ballot is unusual she adds, saying it is rare in states like Washington where voters don't register by party.

Records of which party each voter chooses will be of public record for 60 days. Information the parties will use in compiling lists of supporters for voter outreach, direct mail, and potential donors.

"People [will get] very angry about this election," says Wyman. "They are offended they have to [declare] their political party to the public and they don't want it to be on public record, so they have this tough choice to make."

Wyman, a Republican, is making such a choice. She tells KOMO she will be boycotting this election by not casting a ballot.

She adds that, if re-elected this fall, she will be pushing the state legislature to change the law.