On February 26, the Montana House passed HB 454 by a vote of 53-46. Current law requires qualified parties to choose precinct committee members in a government-administered primary. The bill says parties may continue to do that, but they are also free to appoint such party officers per party rules. Or, they can elect them in primaries they adminster themselves.
Apparently, the purpose of the bill is to moot the lawsuit pending in the Ninth Circuit over the constitutionality of forcing parties to choose party officers in a primary at which any voter is free to participate, whether they are Republicans or members of another party or independents. Thanks to Mike Fellows for this news.
1. PRIVATE clubby stuff by the robot hacks.
2. PUBLIC nomination stuff by the robot hacks — in most States — controlled by PUBLIC laws.
Sorry – NO robot party hack independent empires in PUBLIC elections.
The vote among Democrats was 41-0, among Republicans 12-46. The Democrats probably recognize that the election of precinct officers is the weakest part of the current pick-a-party system.
Montana would be better off getting rid of the role of precinct committee officers in the filling of vacancies.
Democrats like the open primary process, and I’m sure would like to see the Republicans fail in their lawsuit to close primaries. I think in some of the smaller 56 Montana Counties that there is some cross voting by Democrats and Republicans, since it’s either one party or the other in control. Ravalli County is one example of Republican’s working to take over the Ravalli County Democratic party, by running and electing those precinct people. Once the minimum number of people are elected to a county organization, the organization can appoint people to those positions.