Tennessee’s Open Primaries Invite “Crossover Raiding” In County Race

Image Credit: GoVoteTn.com

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Early voting starts on Wednesday in Tennessee, and when voters show up to vote they will be asked which primary, Republican or Democrat, they wish to vote in.

School boards have been in the spotlight across Tennessee as parents speak up against mask mandates and inappropriate books and public school stakeholders are paying attention to who represent them now more than ever before. With school board races in Tennessee having primaries for the first time, some wonder if voters will ask for a ballot from the party they typically do not vote for in order to influence the outcome of who will be on the ballot for school board in August. 

A tactic known as “crossover raiding” involves a voter, a Democratic voter for example, choosing the Republican ballot in order to vote for someone less likely to prevail against the Democratic (or Independent) candidate in an election.

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Earlier this year, a Nashville resident took screenshots of an exchange on social media urging voters to do exactly that.

“For those in school board zone 4… and some may disagree with this strategy,” reads one photo, “But, for the primary in May I would ask for a Republican ballot when you go to vote for the primary regardless of whether you are a Republican or not as you want to have a say in who gets put on the final ballot.”

In the other photo, Angela Butler, who heads up a parents/education page, says, “I can’t stress how important it is [in my opinion] for EVERYONE regardless of party to vote in the primary on the Republican ballot.”

Butler openly discouraged voters from voting for two openly conservative candidates for school board in her county, saying if either were selected that it would be a “disaster.”

In Williamson County in 2018, Bill Peach, a well-known Democrat, said he had voted in Republican primaries since 1982. Peach was running as a Democrat for the District 63 state seat against Representative Glen Casada at the time. 

While this may sound unethical, it is not illegal because Tennessee has an open primary system. Section 2-7-115 of the Tennessee Code stipulates that a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or her affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party’s primary.

Four years ago, the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Tennessee Republican Party voted overwhelmingly to close primaries by requiring party registration in order to vote in a party’s primary election. The SEC has a total of 66 seats; one committeeman and one committeewoman for each of the 33 Senate districts in Tennessee. In a roll call vote, 45 members voted in favor of closed primaries.  

The resolution was provided to the Tennessee General Assembly with the expectation of getting a bill passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and House but ultimately, no new legislation was made to address the issue.

“Every election is important!” says Brad Lytle, Chairman of the Wilson County Republican Party of Tennessee. “Every elected office is important. We give authority to our elected officials to act on our behalf, to represent us. Local officials and school board members have the most immediate influence over our lives and the lives of our children. They are Important! Besides, many of the local politicians advance to State and Federal offices, so it’s important to know who these folks are, what they believe, what they value, what are their principles. Voting is not only our right, it’s our duty!”

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.