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New Hampshire Independents Can Switch Back After Voting

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 01:43:04 PM EST
Tags: New Hamphire 08 (all tags)
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With so many Independents voting in the Democratic and Republican primaries New Hampshire today, and likely deciding the nominees, the question arises, how long will they stay Democrats and Republicans: The answer is, they can change back to Independents on their way out of the polling booth. (See, Par. 2 under Presidential Primary)

Undeclared voters may declare a party and vote at any primary. The law allows an undeclared voter to declare a party at the polls, vote the ballot of that party, and then change their party affiliation back to undeclared simply by completing the form available from the Supervisors of the Checklist at the polling place.

New Hampshire by the numbers:2008:

  • 850,836 total registered voters
  • 26% Democratic
  • 30% Republican
  • 44% Independent
  • Delegates: 27
  • 22 tied to primary results
  • 5 super-delegates, free to choose
  • Electoral College Votes: 4 [More...]

Primary results 2004. From 2002 numbers:

690,159 registered voters
25.6% Dem.,
36.7% Rep.
37.7% Independent

< Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in New Hampshire for Hillary | In Other News >

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    New Hampshire Independents Can Switch Back After Voting | 5 comments (5 topical)

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    I hate party registration. Their (none / 0) (#1)
    by seabos84 on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 01:50:37 PM EST
    stranglehold on everything they can possible choke, to make sure the choices are

    Fascists or Sell Outs

    invalidate the arguement that only party members should be allowed to choose their leaders.

    Unlike churches in the u.s.a., where there are 1000's of other churches to join if I don't like my local/national leaders

    I'm pretty stuck with thug-licans OR chick-o-crats.

    the day there are scores of viable parties to choose from is the day that I'll support only Lutherans voting for Lutheran minister ...

    oops! How did I mix state and church?

    rmm.

    I don't get the superdelagate thing. (none / 0) (#2)
    by JayR70 on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:05:52 PM EST
    Seems pretty un-democratic to me.

    Seems to me that you should be able to vote for whatever candidate you want whenever you want.

    I guess being able to switch around allows for some shenanigans but I'm not aware of anything like that actually effecting an election. Perhaps it has and I just don't know about it.

    Darn that freedom anyway! (none / 0) (#3)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:07:33 PM EST

    Can you imagine, changing your mind about how you will vote between now and November!  Throw those rascals in Gitmo.  Waterboard them.  Make them show their ballot to the local party boss before they leave the booth in November (it worked for Saddam.)

    The delegates should represent (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:14:51 PM EST
    the voters who went to the caucuses and primaries. They should vote how they voted.

    The super-delegates are allowed to pick their own candidates.

    Why bother to vote if your states' delegates can substitute their judgment for the voters?

    Although, in reading the rules for (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:18:00 PM EST
    the Iowa caucuses, all the delegates, both super and reg., are free to vote for a different candidate if the one who won the vote in the caucus is no longer viable later.  

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    New Hampshire Independents Can Switch Back After Voting | 5 comments (5 topical)

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