skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Evacuations underway after barge slammed into Pelican Island bridge in Galveston, causing oil spill; Regional program helps Chicago-area communities become 'EV Ready'; MI leaders mark progress in removing lead water lines; First Amendment rights to mass protest under attack in Mississippi and beyond.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Speaker of the House Johnson calls the Trump trial 'a sham', federal officials are gathering information about how AI could impact the 2024 election, and, preliminary information shows what could have caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge crash.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Americans are buying up rubber ducks ahead of Memorial Day, Nebraskans who want residential solar have a new lifeline, seven community colleges are working to provide students with a better experience, and Mississippi's "Big Muddy" gets restoration help.

Bipartisan AZ group renews call for open primaries

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 30, 2024   

A bipartisan Arizona group that is pushing for open primaries in the state says it isn't surprised by the relatively low voter turnout in recent primary elections.

As in Iowa, Arizona requires voters to be affiliated with a major political party to be able to participate in primary elections.

Paul Johnson, former Phoenix mayor and member of the Make Elections Fair AZ executive committee, said from his experience, those who show up in what he calls "low-turnout primaries" tend to be the "most extremist" voters. He added that leads to more extreme candidates winning, but it also paints a skewed picture of how the public views issues.

"There is a great level of surprise by a great many people who just can't believe that we are continuing on with an outcome where the majority of us, somewhere near the General Election, are going to have to pick between what most people see as being the lesser of the best options," Johnson said.

Johnson added he considers the current system to be discriminatory toward Independent and unaffiliated voters. He argued open primaries would ease polarization.

Arizona allows unaffiliated voters to participate in any party primary they choose, but does not allow those who are registered with one party to vote in another's. Supporters of closed primaries argue they are essential for preserving party ideals and influence.

Sarah Smallhouse, chair of Make Elections Fair AZ, said Arizona's Independent and unaffiliated voters have to take extra steps to be able to participate in primary elections, and many times they don't -- which can lead to a false sense of representation.

"In the sliver of primary voters that are making all of these important decisions, you don't actually have representation from the largest group of registered voters in the state?" Smallhouse asks. "That is a problem."

The group wants to note that both the Republican and Democratic parties are necessary, but is convinced that open primaries would "draw the best out of both of them," as it could facilitate a constructive and holistic political landscape.

The initiative would not stop parties from endorsing a candidate, but they would no longer be guaranteed a place on the General Election ballot.The group is still collecting the signatures, needed by this June, to get the measure onto the November 2024 ballot.

Disclosure: Make Elections Fair AZ contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Vose Elementary is unique as a 750-student preschool through sixth-grade Spanish dual-immersion school focused on playful inquiry and habits of mind. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The Beaverton School District is blazing a trail in early education through bilingual learning labs, which emphasize playful inquiry and habits of …


Social Issues

play sound

Massachusetts residents struggling to pay high food prices are acquiring a growing amount of debt to pay their bills, according to a new report…

Health and Wellness

play sound

The number of avian flu cases in dairy cows is holding steady in New Mexico but experts say more testing is needed to prevent its spread and protect h…


Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study is the only one providing local-level estimates of food insecurity and costs for every county and congressional district. (disha1980/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Texas leads the nation in food insecurity. According to the latest "Map the Meal Gap" study, from Feeding America, nearly 5 million people in the …

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is moving closer to ensure all workers are eligible for the state's minimum wage of $10.85 an hour. The Legislature has been taking action …

The Environmental Defense Fund said methane emissions from oil and gas wells, including abandoned sites which were never capped, remain a significant driver of short-term climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A new round of federal funding is coming North Dakota's way to help plug dozens of abandoned oil wells. The U.S. Department of the Interior this …

Environment

play sound

By Stephen Robert Miller for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for t…

Social Issues

play sound

In a blow to free speech and the right to assemble, the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear a case involving the rights of protest …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021