Virginia Attorney General Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has endorsed a bill that would require voters to register with a political party to participate in primaries:
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) has endorsed a bill by Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William) that would allow Virginia voters to register with a political party.
Bolling sent a letter to lawmakers today that says party registration would “maintain the integrity of the party nomination process in Virginia” and allow candidates “to more effectively identify voters and efficiently communicate with them.”
There have been growing calls among Republicans to implement party registration. Virginia voters currently do not register by party, meaning they can decide on the day of the primary whether they want to vote in the Republican or Democratic nomination contest. Some conservatives argue Democratic-leaning voters should not be allowed decide who the GOP nominates for state, local and federal offices.
But Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) said recently he prefers the current system because he thinks most Virginians like being labeled as independent.
And they can continue that if they like under the proposed bill. It’s time to end the practice of cross-over primary voting.
Update: Boy, did I get that one wrong.
January 15th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
[...] Below the Beltway has the story (here). [...]
January 15th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I’m pretty sure that Bill Bolling is Lieutenant Governor, not Attorney General. I’m pretty sure that the story you’ve blockquoted says that in the first two words, too. So how exactly did you manage to get it wrong…twice?
January 15th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Yes, I got that one wrong big time