:: Running from the Thought Police ::

:: Monday, February 21, 2005 ::

One-Party Rule Is Bad

Usually, a post with this title would be decrying the GOP stranglehold on the Federal government. Instead, my thoughts are on the Urbana mayoral race. While I'm not as well-versed in local political history as some of my fellow bloggers, I do know that Urbana is a staunch Democratic stronghold - so much so that its mayoral race isn't decided at the municipal elecions but during the Democratic primary. I currently live in Champaign, and since I won't vote in that election, I'm not following the race all that closely, so I won't endorse a candidate. That I'm saying anything about it at all is a result of this News-Gazette article, which discuss the implications of a state law that prohibits people who have signed a petition for a member of one party to then take a primary ballot for the other party. While, in normal circumstances, such a law prohibits crossover voters from screwing with a party's primary, it also keeps some Republicans from voting in what is in effect their city's mayoral election. Although nothing can be done in time for tomorrow's primary, the political makeup of the city of Urbana makes it likely that similar situations will arise in the future. Because of my opposition of all forms of systematic as well as intentional disenfranchisement, I think that some action needs to be taken to allow citizens to vote in elections where the primary, not the main election, is what counts.

Note: the DI also has coverage of this, with much of the same information.

:: The Squire 2:17 PM :: email this post :: ::
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