Change In Primaries Shot Down
Lawmakers Fear Voting Centers Would Be A Source Of Confusion
Posted: January 30, 2013
HARRISONBURG — The House of Delegates squashed a bill on Tuesday that would have created voluntary voting centers for primary elections.
“The risk of this bill to confuse our voters and the potential it has to disenfranchise even one of these voters outweighs … [cost] savings,” said Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond.
Under the proposal, localities would have the option to enter a pilot program that establishes centralized polling places composed of two or more precincts for primary elections.
It would be a three-year study and save each locality thousands of dollars, supporters say.
But by a voice vote, the House declined to advance the measure. It received opposition from Republicans and Democrats.
Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, is one of the bill’s co-patrons. He urged lawmakers to approve it, noting that it was just a pilot program and pertains only to primary elections.
“We want to try and see if it’ll work,” Landes said on the House floor.
A Senate committee has rejected similar legislation this year.
Primaries Cost Millions
Primary elections have grabbed a lot of attention in recent years.
Last year, conservative Republicans selected a party-run convention over a primary for nominating candidates for statewide office in 2013. To many, the change appeared to be a show of favoritism toward Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a GOP candidate for governor.
At the time, Cuccinelli faced competition from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Cuccinelli is viewed as the more popular candidate among party faithful who will likely serve as delegates at the convention.
Angered by the switch, Bolling withdrew his name in November and is thinking of running as an independent.
Expenses also played a factor in going to a convention, though.
A bill requiring the state to reimburse localities for primaries died in a House subcommittee earlier this month. According to the bill, costs associated with the 2012 GOP presidential primary were $3.2 million, and it is estimated that nonpresidential primaries cost $2.6 million.
Localities receive a reimbursement for presidential primaries, but not for state primaries.
Local registrars say that’s part of the problem.
“I don’t think that should be a city expense,” Harrisonburg Registrar Debbie Logan said. “My feeling is, if [parties] have a primary, they should pay for the primary.”
Rockingham County Registrar Doug Geib said: “The key here is we’re looking at elections that have very, very small turnouts. The dollars spent per voter, you’re looking at much higher costs than a normal November general election.”
For that reason, he lobbied for the pilot program.
For a primary, Geib staffs each of the county’s 29 precincts with at least three officers whose pay varies from $155 to $215. If vote centers were allowed, one precinct would be located in each of the five supervisor districts, he said.
Under that setup, taxpayers would have saved $17,348 in last year’s primary, he said. In eight primaries since 2000, Geib said savings would have exceeded $139,000.
Voter turnout for those elections has averaged only about 5 percent in the county.
In Harrisonburg, seven precincts are used. Savings under the pilot program could approach $5,000 per election, Logan said.
Yet lawmakers had more trouble with the threat of confusing voters. Registrars disagree with that assessment.
“Normally, people who vote in primaries are more active. They tend to stay on top of things,” Logan said. “I didn’t see that as much of a drawback.”
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com
“The risk of this bill to confuse our voters and the potential it has to disenfranchise even one of these voters outweighs … [cost] savings,” said Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond.
Under the proposal, localities would have the option to enter a pilot program that establishes centralized polling places composed of two or more precincts for primary elections.
It would be a three-year study and save each locality thousands of dollars, supporters say.
But by a voice vote, the House declined to advance the measure. It received opposition from Republicans and Democrats.
Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, is one of the bill’s co-patrons. He urged lawmakers to approve it, noting that it was just a pilot program and pertains only to primary elections.
“We want to try and see if it’ll work,” Landes said on the House floor.
A Senate committee has rejected similar legislation this year.
Primaries Cost Millions
Primary elections have grabbed a lot of attention in recent years.
Last year, conservative Republicans selected a party-run convention over a primary for nominating candidates for statewide office in 2013. To many, the change appeared to be a show of favoritism toward Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a GOP candidate for governor.
At the time, Cuccinelli faced competition from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Cuccinelli is viewed as the more popular candidate among party faithful who will likely serve as delegates at the convention.
Angered by the switch, Bolling withdrew his name in November and is thinking of running as an independent.
Expenses also played a factor in going to a convention, though.
A bill requiring the state to reimburse localities for primaries died in a House subcommittee earlier this month. According to the bill, costs associated with the 2012 GOP presidential primary were $3.2 million, and it is estimated that nonpresidential primaries cost $2.6 million.
Localities receive a reimbursement for presidential primaries, but not for state primaries.
Local registrars say that’s part of the problem.
“I don’t think that should be a city expense,” Harrisonburg Registrar Debbie Logan said. “My feeling is, if [parties] have a primary, they should pay for the primary.”
Rockingham County Registrar Doug Geib said: “The key here is we’re looking at elections that have very, very small turnouts. The dollars spent per voter, you’re looking at much higher costs than a normal November general election.”
For that reason, he lobbied for the pilot program.
For a primary, Geib staffs each of the county’s 29 precincts with at least three officers whose pay varies from $155 to $215. If vote centers were allowed, one precinct would be located in each of the five supervisor districts, he said.
Under that setup, taxpayers would have saved $17,348 in last year’s primary, he said. In eight primaries since 2000, Geib said savings would have exceeded $139,000.
Voter turnout for those elections has averaged only about 5 percent in the county.
In Harrisonburg, seven precincts are used. Savings under the pilot program could approach $5,000 per election, Logan said.
Yet lawmakers had more trouble with the threat of confusing voters. Registrars disagree with that assessment.
“Normally, people who vote in primaries are more active. They tend to stay on top of things,” Logan said. “I didn’t see that as much of a drawback.”
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com