Prop 1 is not about open primaries

I see ads for Prop 1 in the paper and mail, claiming that this proposition is about open primaries. People like the idea of open primaries, and think this is a good idea.

However, Prop 1 is not about open primaries. An open primary is what we used to have in Idaho. No matter what party you belong to, when you go to vote you are given an option whether to vote the Republican ticket, the Democrat ticket, the Libertarian ticket, etc. Proposition 1 would get rid of all that. Every candidate from every party would be on one ticket, and only the top four people chosen would go to the November election. Talk about disenfranchising third party voters. There are more than four parties with candidates.

What's worse, in November, when you would go to vote for one of the four candidates, you wouldn't get to vote for just one — you'd have to rank them, even if you hate them. If you don't rank them, your ballot could be thrown out and that person could win because they weren't ranked, not because they were the popular candidate. The vote count would be run again and again, utilizing voting machines — NOT paper ballots, until someone in the middle is finally chosen as the winner. It will cost counties about $40 million (that's about $1 million per county) which would raise our property taxes even more.

Preserve one person, one vote. Vote no on Proposition 1.

ANNE WILDER CHAMBERLAIN

Priest River