Despite the party being split down the middle on the issue, Maryland Republicans have created a panel to investigate the possibility of allowing independent voters to cast ballots in Republican primaries. According to WJZ-TV, proponents of the idea believe opening up their primaries will get GOP-leaning unaffiliated voters involved earlier, particularly in statewide races. But others worry that Democrat-leaning voters would sabotage the primaries by voting for “someone viewed as the weakest candidate.”
That fear strikes me as misplaced. For one, do people even really do that? Also, Maryland’s last Republican governor was Robert Ehrlich, elected in 2002. Maryland’s second-to-last Republican governor? Spiro Agnew, elected in 1966.
I mean, is sabotage even necessary? Could anyone imagine unaffiliated voters who are secretly agents of the Maryland Democratic Party turning out for a GOP primary in large enough numbers to swing a nomination?
Would love for Marylanders to respond to my poll regarding this issue! I’ll be sharing the results soon! http://www.jackiewellfonder.com/poll-do-you-support-open-primaries-in-the-state-of-maryland/