Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
A bill requiring voters to select a party affiliation to help ensure primaries are truly closed in Tennessee passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, clearing a significant hurdle in the legislation’s progress.
SB0777 by Sen. Adam Lowe would require new and already registered voters to select a party affiliation allows individuals wishing to change their affiliation after their initial registration to do so no later than 30 days before a primary election. Additionally, the party with whom the individual registers must match the party for which the individual requests a primary ballot.
Those registering to vote for the first time would make their affiliation choice while applying for registration while those already registered would select their affiliation at the first primary election for which they pull a ballot after the law takes effect. An individual who fails to make a selection or chooses to do so will be marked as “Unaffiliated” and cannot vote in a party primary election.
During Tuesday’s committee meeting, Sen. Lowe acknowledged that lawmaking Republicans “have long since been urged by, at least our state party Executive Committee, to do what all but six states have done in this nation, which is institute party registration.”
Lowe also addressed the issue of crossover voting, a practice already technically illegal in Tennessee but which remains largely unenforced.
“The primaries are still the domain of the parties, and our current system allows individuals to essentially come tramping through the yard of the family even though they don’t say they’re part of the family. So, this just puts some reasonable frameworks to say if you’re going to engage in the primary process, just tell us how you identify before 30 days before that election and not just bouncing in and out…We’ve seen that happen at a national level, where there were calls to vote in an opposing party’s primary, simply for the purpose of sabotage,” he said.
Additionally, he pointed to the potential for a more uniform and clear method of vetting candidate qualifications for the ballot, as the party affiliation would create an undeniable record of a potential candidate’s voting history and support for a party.
“[The bill] is just providing the framework to where there’s more disclosure, more commitment, and hopefully, it will lead to self-classification of bona fide status when it comes to what party that you are. Right now, if you’re looking to be a candidate for a particular party, the Republican party in Tennessee, the Executive Committee has dictated a formula for how they determine whether you’re bona fide because there is no self-disclosure, there is no registration. So, I think this is a step in the right direction,” he elaborated.
After a few exchanges with Democrat Jeff Yarbro who advocated for the right of independent voters to decide partisan candidates, the committee then heard from Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins at the request of Sen. Todd Gardenhire who essentially tried to pressure Goins into saying the legislation is unnecessary because statute already declares crossover voting illegal and voters attest they are not breaking that law when signing forms on election day.
Despite the arguments against the bill, the committee voted 6-3 in favor, with Republican Todd Gardenhire joining Democrats in voting “No”. SB0777 now advances to the Senate Finance, Way, and Means Committee.
Sen. Lowe told The Tennessee Conservative of the bill’s passage, “For years, our primary elections in Tennessee have been the equivalent of letting visiting Alabama fans help pick who Tennessee’s starting quarterback is. We are now one step closer [to] protecting the primaries and allowing voters the option to declare their affiliation.”
This specific legislation has been in progress for over a year, stalling in the Senate last session when it did not receive a second on the motion for the bill to be presented. Since then, both the House and Senate bill sponsors have been working to obtain the needed support from committee members to see it across the finish line.
House companion bill sponsor Rep. Chris Todd has previously stated that he has taken HB0886 as far as he can through the House until there is movement in the Senate, so SB0777’s clearance of the Senate committee will likely mean Rep. Todd can reactivate the bill in the House and work on getting it through the Finance, Ways, & Means Committee.
The other party affiliation bill being run this year is officially dead for the session, with HB1159 failing in the House State & Local Government Committee last week and its Senate companion SB0831 being General Subbed, but as SB0777/HB0886 is now showing progress through the General Assembly, those in favor of verifiably closed Tennessee primaries can continue to put their support behind this bill for now.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Gardenhire (TLRC 55/F) wants more foreign immigrants and more Democrats voting in Republican primaries. We have two more years until he’s up for election again. Isn’t there one Republican in District 10 (Chattanooga) who wants to be a state senator and is ready to run an energetic campaign who disagrees?