The Republican and Democrat Parties of Florida are united against their message to kill Florida Constitutional Amendment 3, which would extend the right to participate in primaries to nearly 4 million voters in the state of Florida.
Currently, more than over 25 percent, or 3.65 million registered voters in Florida are registered with “No Party Affiliation.” Another 188,000 voters are registered to minor parties, making for 3,841,633 voters in the state of Florida that are neither Republican nor Democrat.
Florida is one of only nine states with a closed primary, wherein only registered party members can vote for their own party’s primary.
The amendment would allow “all registered voters to vote in primaries for state legislature, governor, and cabinet regardless of political party affiliation.” That means that all candidates for an office, including those nominated by the parties, would appear on the same primary ballot, and the two highest “vote getters” would advance to the general election. If approved, the law would not go into effect until January 1, 2024.
In statements made leading up to the election, politicians from both the Republican and Democrat parties of Florida have come out against the amendment.
Do you favor the amendment to open primaries in the state of Florida to all voters? Share your thoughts in a comment below.