A Simple Premise

A recent editorial urged legislators to “Keep open primaries in South Carolina.” It painted a picture of party officials being irked by some voters that cross over party lines to make mischief. With a few strokes of a pen, the legislation was deemed unwarranted. Abraham Lincoln once said, "The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just."
As primary sponsor of legislation requiring party registration to participate in the primary process, I believe this is a just cause. The underlying premise is simple; members of a party should be able to select candidates to represent their beliefs.

When considering any changes to our election laws, we should be mindful of South Carolina’s history. Early in the twentieth century South Carolina did require party membership for participation in primaries, but the denial of suffrage occurred in the administration of this law. Today election laws are administered fairly. Many safeguards now exist for voting rights even in the legislative process, such as review of any change by the United States Department of Justice, that were not present previously.

In addition, South Carolina would not be entering uncharted territory by enacting this legislation. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, twenty-six states have closed or partially closed primary election systems.

As a matter of basic fairness, a party should have the right to choose its own candidates.