Unmuzzle Florida’s independent voters
It’s that time of year when Democrats and Republicans in Florida are pushing hard to add unregistered Floridians to the voter rolls with a D or an R next to their names. With their presidential primary just over a month away, state Democrats are especially motivated.
The push is fast and furious now. The deadline to register for Florida’s March 17 Presidential Preference Primary is Feb. 18. We can’t emphasize enough how important every vote will be in November.
But Florida voters who are neither D nor R — independents — have always gotten the short end of the stick, shut out of primaries with no early say in choosing the ultimate presidential candidates.
Florida’s closed-primary system largely excludes the state’s growing population of independents, and it’s not fair.
Fortunately, a well-organized petition process to give independents a voice from the outset could be on the cusp of making it to the ballot to let voters decide.
It’s not always a case of red or blue for voters in Florida. Disenchantment with partisan infighting, political gridlock and leaders’ simplistic party pandering have has pushed many Americans — including Floridians — to register independent, or NPA, No Party Affiliation.
According to the League of Women Voters of Florida, the number of residents registering as NPA increased by 55 percent between 2014-2016.
Which means that those Floridians have voluntarily excluded themselves from voting in party primaries.
In Florida, the number of registered independents is at more then 3.6 million, about 27 percent of the electorate — who are unable to cast ballots in primary elections for Congress, the Legislature and president in 2020 because they have registered as no party affiliated.
Florida is one of 13 states that still holds closed primaries. With the major parties in control of the primaries, no-party voters are left to shape only early outcomes in nonpartisan races lower on the ballot, from school boards to judicial offices.
It’s past time to remove the muzzle from independent voters. That’s why we support the efforts of All Voters Vote, which has gathered enough signatures to place a citizen initiative on the November ballot. It would allow all registered Floridians to vote in a single primary for governor, cabinet members and state legislators.
The initiative could significantly alter state politics in Florida.
All Voters Vote is the brainchild of Miami healthcare mogul Mike Fernandez, who has thrown millions into this worthy effort to simply make more votes count in the state. Kudos to Fernandez, a former Republican, for identifying and focusing laser-like on a practical solution. The campaign has gathered the number of verified signatures to get on the ballot.
However, its efforts are not favored by Florida’s Democratic and Republican parties.
Their attorneys recently argued to the Florida Supreme Court that the amendment misleads voters by not telling them that the primary-election process will be fundamentally changed. If so, pre-election information and awareness campaigns can overcome that.
It’s time for Florida to unleash the 3.6 million independent voters who do not get a say in the primaries.
After all, they are among the most coveted voters in the general election when both Democrats and Republicans are salivating for their votes.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 12:13 AM.
