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Q&A
Chair Buery asks about the potential misuse of party labels in open primaries
0:51:25
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136 sec
Chair Richard R. Buery Jr. questions John Ketchum about the rationale for suggesting party leader endorsements on nonpartisan ballots, asking if candidates intentionally misusing self-chosen party labels is a significant problem in other jurisdictions with open primaries.
Ketchum responds that while labels are useful voter cues, allowing candidates to self-select labels without party backing can mislead voters about actual party support, hence his suggestion for an endorsement mechanism to ensure clarity and strengthen the link between parties and candidates.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:51:25
Well, maybe two questions.
0:51:28
One is and first of all, thank you so much for your testimony.
0:51:31
The first question is that you spoke about the potential of essentially misusing the ability to attach your party affiliation in opening primary ballot in in in as a as a reason to have, party leaders, approve the designation.
0:51:51
In cities around the country that have some form of open primary, are you aware of lots of examples of candidates who have, like, intentionally misled the public by adopting a party affiliation?
0:52:04
Is that a problem that has been seen around the country?
John Ketchum
0:52:06
Thank you for the question.
0:52:07
So some jurisdictions allow for a three word descriptor of what the candidate stands for.
0:52:16
It doesn't necessarily have to be a party label per se, and that has led to some confusion by, for example, saying that the candidate was an independent candidate, right, which does not necessarily mean in a particular independent party or independence party.
0:52:34
I think the most important thing is that voters should have immediate information available to them on the ballots that they can make informed decisions on the spot.
0:52:43
We would all love to imagine that voters do ample homework before they get to the ballot box.
0:52:51
Many do, but some don't.
0:52:53
And we have to, in a sense, meet voters where they are in in those cases, and informational cues simply, provide either good or bad information.
0:53:03
And sometimes, if it's not aligned with, for example, what party leaders really want, then the voter may not know whether there's a real affinity or link between the party structure, the party leadership, and and the the particular candidate who's running.
0:53:23
So in order to strengthen that linkage and prevent potential misapprehensions or confusions, I think it would be important for party leadership to have some role in the endorsement that in in is included on the ballot.
0:53:39
And I welcome your second question.
0:53:41
Thank you.