House weighs primary system options

State lawmakers are coming down to the wire in the fight over how to replace Washington's popular but unconstitutional blanket primary system.

With just six days left in the legislative session, lawmakers in the House are weighing two competing replacements for Washington's blanket primary.

Backing one plan: Gov. Gary Locke, the state's major political parties, and dozens of state lawmakers.

Backing the other: Secretary of State Sam Reed, many county elections officials, the state Grange, and even more state lawmakers.

The current system, nearly 70 years old, allows people to vote for any candidate, regardless of party, on the September ballot. The results determine which of a party's candidates appear on the Election Day ballot in November.

But after a four-year lawsuit by the state's Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties, a federal court last year ruled that Washington's unusual primary violates the parties' First Amendment political right of association.

"Our beloved blanket primary is unconstitutional," said Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup.

The two competing alternatives are:

The Top Two system: in which the top two vote-getters in September regardless of party - face off on Election Day. No one would register to vote by party, and anyone could vote for any party's candidate in September, just like now. Many lawmakers like this system. The Senate voted for it last week.

But the parties hate the Top Two system. They predict chaos and continued legal battles. Minor parties, they say, will never make it to the top two spots. Perhaps most importantly, the parties say they'll boycott such a primary, and instead pick their top candidates behind closed doors at nominating conventions.

"Make no mistake, there will be a process for nominating our candidates," said state Democratic Party chairman Paul Berendt. "We will not just acquiesce."

"It's schoolyard bully tactics. They're taking their bat and ball and going home," said John Marshall, an Olympia businessman.

The "Modified Montana" system: This version allows voters to register a party affiliation, but only if they want to. The resulting lists would be public. Party members can only vote in that party's primary. Unaffiliated voters would have to pick one of the three major parties' ballots, but the choice would remain secret.

The parties say they would accept this system and would count the votes of the unaffiliated voters. The court battles would stop, they say. And minor party candidates would still appear on the November ballot, as they do now.

Critics predict that voters will be furious if they have to pick a party ballot.

"They'll walk away in disgust," said Grange lobbyist Toni McKinley. If lawmakers approve the Modified Montana plan, she said, the Grange will launch a citizens' initiative to replace it with a Top-Two version.

"We're prepared," she said. "We've got two campaign managers, and a couple hundred thousand dollars. We've got it all ready."

Lawmakers are stuck in the middle.

"Even if we make a decision tomorrow, this is fluid," said Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton. "It either goes to an initiative or back to court."

The House could vote for one of the versions as early as Monday. Haigh said Friday that the Top Two "still has the momentum" and seems to be favored by more lawmakers. But she said some are reconsidering because the Top Two reduces voters' choices in November.

"I wish (the parties) could just do their registration on their own and we could leave the election system out of the process," said Haigh.

Copyright 2004 Cowles Publishing Company
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.