Mark Lane: It doesn’t feel like it, but the primary is here
If you were signed up to get a mail-in ballot, one should have already landed in your mailbox. I know, the back-to-school sales haven’t even started, but it’s already Primary Election Day for you.
Only about a quarter of registered voters vote in Florida primaries, so the whole election-before-the-election thing is new to a lot of potential voters. As a public service, here are some terms that get thrown around at summer election time:
Closed primary, open primary – Florida is a closed primary state. That means only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary and only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary. And you no-party independents? You just have to sit this one out.
More: Election 2024: First Volusia, Flagler primary ballots mailed to voters; how to get yours
Twenty other states have open primaries. In Georgia, for instance, you show up at the polls and ask for a Democratic or Republican primary ballot. Either one. Doesn’t matter how you’re registered.
Nonpartisan election — But wait, there are a few races where an independent voter can cast a ballot. Those are nonpartisan elections. In Volusia County, these are the County Council, city government and School Board races. (Though in Flagler County, County Commission races are partisan.)
Nonpartisan means the candidates’ party labels are not printed on the ballot and primaries are not closed. It doesn’t mean the candidates aren’t active political party members. Nonpartisan races often turn into semi-partisan races with both major parties campaigning for their candidates.
The good thing about nonpartisan races is that independent voters can have a say and primaries are open to all voters. Both major parties would love to stamp this out.
That’s why a constitutional amendment to make all school board elections partisan will be on the general election ballot in November, Amendment 1. The Legislature put it there. Legislators believe education would be improved by turning school boards into partisan battlegrounds. I’m not making that up.
Ghost candidates — In Florida, if only one party fields candidates, the primary opens up. Anyone can vote. Candidates keep this from happening by recruiting someone to file as a write-in or a no-party candidate and then lay low. Getting a ghost candidate on the ballot keeps the primary closed because there are two people on the general election ballot. A smooth move that allows a minority of voters to decide things.
Another kind of ghost candidate runs as a no-party candidate in the general election to draw votes away from an opponent. The last time an independent candidate actually was elected to anything on the state level was when Lori Wilson won a state House seat in 1972. (Fun fact: her husband founded the local newspaper.)
Runoff election — Nonpartisan local elections often get decided in a second election, a runoff between the top two vote-getters. Partisan primaries, however, are won by whichever candidate gets the most votes. Even if that’s nothing close to a majority. If five people are running and the top candidate gets only 25% of the vote, that person wins. Closed primaries without runoffs mean a tiny sliver of voters can decide everything.
Early voting — The ballots that just arrived in mailboxes are one form of early voting. The other is voting in person at early voting stations on August 10-17. Florida voters have enjoyed both early voting options since 2002. They allow you to avoid long lines on Election Day and to vote on a day when you don’t have to be at work or when the child care works out.
Mail-in voting allows you to vote without leaving the house. Be sure to sign it before mailing it in. A lot of people don’t.
Signature checks — The elections office checks mail-in ballot signatures against signatures it has on file. If that signature doesn’t match your ballot, the ballot isn’t counted.
I first registered to vote in 1974. Eons ago. My signature looks nothing like that anymore. After the election canvassing board invalidated my son’s mail-in ballot because he had developed a grownup signature, I took the hint and re-registered with my current signature so I could vote by mail unchallenged.
Super voter — Frequent voters are called super voters. Campaigns target them. As a regular on the super voter list, my mailbox gets stuffed with ads. Campaigners show up at my door. Primary voters are the super-est of super voters.
I hold some unpopular views, but as a primary super voter, I get to decide things for the stay-at-home majority. As Spider-Man says, with great power comes great responsibility. I try not to abuse it.
Mark Lane is a News-Journal columnist. His email is mlanewrites@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Mark Lane: It doesn’t feel like it, but the primary is here
