Register and make your vote count

Rep. Frank Henderson's announcement Saturday that he will not seek a return to the Legislature after this session opened the door not just for Henderson's endorsement of John Chambers, but for the debate over closed primaries to roar again.

It's hard to argue that a political party shouldn't have the right for its members to choose their nominees for general elections. But in Idaho, where many races are essentially decided in the primary, the GOP's decision to close its primaries deserves a closer look.

In 2011 the Legislature passed House Bill 351, which allowed parties to restrict participation in primaries to members of their party only. The upshot is that while the Democrats have chosen not to close their nomination process, Republicans have, with a net effect of significantly reducing voter participation on the GOP side.

Idaho is known as a red state, but the truth is it's more a blend of red and blue than most states. The independent nature of Idahoans sets us apart, and has for many years. According to the Idaho Secretary of State's website, three quarters of a million registered Idaho voters were not affiliated with any party before HB 351 took effect. A national poll recently showed that Americans are increasingly fed up with both major parties; a full 41 percent of poll respondents identified themselves as independents.

So what does this have to do with the primary elections coming up in May? Plenty.

With respect we note that races on the Democratic side of the ballot are often uncontested locally. In those cases, the one person running for that particular office is assured of advancing to the November general election.

That's rarely the case on the Republican side of the ballot in Kootenai County. In the 2012 primary, for instance, four Republicans ran for the House seat eventually won by Ed Morse; five ran for Todd Tondee's seat on the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners. Even the sheriff's race featured three Republicans in the primary, then three other Republicanesque candidates who registered as Independents so they could run against Ben Wolfinger in the general election.

Here's the bottom line: In Kootenai County, the primary elections have essentially replaced the general elections in partisan races. Look at 2012 again. Every single state and county office was won by a Republican. That's why non-affiliated voters shouldn't stand idly on the political sidelines and wait for the general election while the most important local decisions are being made in the spring.

We urge Independents and other non-affiliated voters to register Republican soon so you can participate in the May 20 primary election and send the best, most qualified Republican candidates forward. You can do that by visiting the Elections Department at 1808 N. Third St. in Coeur d'Alene, going to any Department of Motor Vehicles office or by obtaining a mail-in registration card at idahovotes.gov.