Via the AP: La. ‘Open Primary’ Law May Face Challenge
Louisiana’s unique “open primary” elections system could be scrapped in congressional elections and replaced with closed primaries similar to those used in most other states, under a bill approved by a legislative committee.Louisiana now holds a general primary in November, with candidates from all parties running on the same ballot. A December runoff follows if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.
Intriguing–insofar as I have long been interested by Louisiana’s system, and because such a move could have some important effects on parties and politics in the state.
Of course, as I have noted before, Louisiana doesn’t have a primary system, they have a two-round system to elect members of congress. The so-called “primary” that they currently have is not a nominating mechanism, but is the first stage (and potentially the last) in the actual general election.
With the advent of a new film version of All the King’s Men [Sean Penn doing Robert Penn as Willie Stark!!!] , I’ve been picking through Warren’s novel & his own stage adaptation with ever increasing fascination at its depiction of LA politics. Stark is no Blanco–she’s not calculating enough to be opportunistic, or not opportunistic enough to be calculating. But if ( IF) Nagin rides the flood into a huge federally funded urban renewal cum world pity (metropolitan) boondoggle, then “give him that meat-axe.”
Comment by guido — Wednesday, June 7, 2024 @ 4:47 pm
Not only is Louisiana’s electoral system not a nominating mechanism (and therefore not a primary). It also can (and often does) pit two candidates of the same party against each other in the runoff (”general”) election.
It is the same system we use in California at the municipal level in most counties and larger cities (where the system is also inaccurately referred to as ‘primary’ and ‘general’).
I wonder if Louisiana permits write-in candidates to enter the runoff, as San Diego County did until the unwise ban was voted into effect just this week.
Comment by Matthew Shugart — Thursday, June 8, 2024 @ 12:20 pm