Primary Voter Registration Numbers: 2000 - 2008

I'm shocked. (0.00 / 0)

There are STILL more registered Republicans than Dems in our State?  I know many liberals would rather vote for Dems and not register, but still!

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 20:39:37 PM CST

Untallied: (4.00 / 1)

The people who arrived at the polls and found out they were registered as Republicans, and could only vote on that ballot. And they couldn't change registration that day.

Exercise for the reader - compare the count of write-ins for Republicans on Dem ballots, to the write-ins for Dems on Republican ballots.

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by: elwood @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 20:46:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

U's see largest growth (0.00 / 0)

Is this a concern?  

Hope > Fear

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by: Mike Hoefer @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 20:51:02 PM CST

Yup. (0.00 / 0)

If you're not planning to run for office, thereby wanting to show party fealty, New Hampshire law makes Undeclared the clear choice.

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by: elwood @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 20:53:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

(sometimes fortnights go by (4.00 / 4)

between occasions to say 'fealty'.)

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by: elwood @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 21:18:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

fealty defined (0.00 / 0)

http://www.answers.com/topic/f...

The fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord.
The oath of such fidelity.

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 21:34:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

While not pledging fealty, (4.00 / 3)

the vast majority of undeclared voters almost always vote for candidates of one of the major parties according to Andy Smith of UNH. The true independents are thus a small subset of the undeclared.So a more accurate view of the relative strength of the parties would be somewhere between the registration percentage and the percent taking ballots of each party.

While the above is true, I only posted this so that I too could use the word fealty, for the first time in many fortnights.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 23:31:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hi-Fi (0.00 / 0)

"His master's voice"
http://www.erikoest.dk/nip_p01...

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:17:55 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I would imagine (0.00 / 0)

that many people choose to go Undeclared simply so that each time a Primary comes around, they have the choice of which Party's ballot to take.

However, knowing that system, I still have maintained my registration as a Democrat since my 18th birthday (which, I suppose, is not that impressive, given my age), because I would have no reason to vote in a Republican Primary except to help a weaker candidate, and I can't see myself casting a ballot, even in a Primary, for a candidate whom I would hate to see actually win.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 21:51:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

On the 2000 primary (0.00 / 0)

I was registered as independent and voted for McCain because I really didn't want bush to win. Immediately afterward I re-registered but this time as a Democrat and have since stayed in the Dem party, thereby showing fealty for the past eight years.

(BTW, how long is a fortnight? I'm going to try and work fealty into my conversations from time to time.)

Beachcombings Jewelry

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by: rambler american @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 05:28:08 AM CST

[ Parent ]

How's this? (4.00 / 2)

Hey senor, you want to buy some fealty pictures?

Beachcombings Jewelry

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by: rambler american @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 05:29:07 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Fortnight's easy. (4.00 / 1)

Two weeks, or fourteen nights.

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 06:27:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Dr. Smauel Johnson (4.00 / 1)

one of my top favs

"When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."  

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:13:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The other reason for staying Undeclared (4.00 / 1)

is to leave no public record of your party preference. "Ain't nobody's business what I do.."

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 06:30:30 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Lady Day Declares (4.00 / 2)

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:15:14 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks! (0.00 / 0)

I was remembering Eric von Schmidt's version. Old vinyl; I should have mentioned the album in that earlier thread.

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:24:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Baby Let Me Follow You Down n/t (4.00 / 1)

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 08:01:38 AM CST

[ Parent ]

wrong Elwood (0.00 / 0)

Everytime an Independent takes a primary ballot it is noted on the chckelist. Needless to say we know that sort of thing.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:19:28 AM CST

[ Parent ]

But is it published? (0.00 / 0)

Can my snoopy neighbor find out?

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:24:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

its public (4.00 / 1)

They can go to their town hall or the state archives. America is a country of Mrs. Kravitzes..nothing is secret.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:30:52 AM CST

[ Parent ]

There's a difference (0.00 / 0)

You're being a bit pedantic here.

I'm a pollworker. The list tells me how someone is registered. It does not tell me which ballot they took in the primary. Same if I look at the checklist in city hall.

I repeat: many people stay Undeclared as a matter of privacy. It isn't perfect, but it has advantages.

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:55:00 AM CST

[ Parent ]

You're confusing the lists (0.00 / 0)

If you get the readily available and very public checklist used by the poll workers after each primary it notes next to every voting Independent if they took a D or R ballot. It you do not do that in your town you guys are breaking the law.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 08:05:17 AM CST

[ Parent ]

You're both right. (0.00 / 0)

I'm sure Ray knows this inside and out, but I'd bet the average Undeclared voter doesn't, and I'm sure some of them register Undeclared for precisely the reason elwood gave, even if it doesn't give them the privacy they think it does.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 13:01:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Here's the deal, as I understand it (0.00 / 0)

1. The published checklists do not say which ballot an undeclared voter took at the most recent election.
2. The pollworkers get a copy of these published checklists when they work the primary.
3. As Undeclared take a ballot, thereby enrolling in that party, the pollworkers note which.
4. Ray's point is: these marked-up checklists are public records and available later for viewing by anyone (or maybe any voter). Agreed.
5. But they are never published. The guy standing in line at City Hall may look through a checklist on the wall - it will not say which ballot his undeclared neighbor took.
6. So it takes a more determined snoop to find out which party the Undeclared voter chose.

It isn't just a matter of people being ignorant. There is a greater degree of privacy if you are Undeclared.

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by: elwood @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 13:13:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

A convert (4.00 / 1)

As a habit, I rejected party politics and maintained a standing as unenrolled. That meant registering as unenrolled, casting a dem ballot and the returning to unenrolled. That was my cycle.

Not this primary.

Blue Hampshire has broken my antiquated resolve and for the first time in a score, I am a registered Democrat.

It was Caufield that turned me. I reject hyper-partisanship, but Mike is correct that clear lines must be defined on important issues. For me, issues like immigration reform and executive priviledge leave little room for negotiation. In other areas, say taxation, I can accomodate a thick Republican flavor in the soup.

So jump for joy or bang your head, I am a Democrat.

The giant finds its gait.

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 07:49:57 AM CST

Executive Privelage isn't the problem; it's what you do with it. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 13:02:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's really cool how sometimes I type things with horrible spelling and can't edit them. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 17:20:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

And today will add more states to the list! (4.00 / 1)

*Democrats have experienced a surge in turnout (compared to 2004) in
every single primary, so far.

*The GOP has actually seen decreases in turnout (compared to 2000) in
six primaries: NH, SC, CA, CT, MA and NY.

*The only two states where Democratic turnout did not exceed Republican
turnout in primaries this year were AL and AZ (home of Sen. McCain).  

*Democratic turnout in 2008 was more than double that of GOP turnout in
seven states: IA, CT, IL, MA, MN, NJ and NY.

*Party Caucus turnout for Democrats reached historic heights in IA, AK,
ID, KS, MN.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 08:06:45 AM CST

Every Time... (4.00 / 3)

Every time an Independent takes a Democratic ballot, an angel gets his wings!

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt   [I'm an advisor to the NHDP Coordinated Campaign]

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 13:00:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

All excellent points! (0.00 / 0)

I'm particularly excited about that last one, because four of the five states on that list are (or were until now) red states.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Feb 09, 2008 at 13:03:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]