HB 405 / SB 452

Prescribes a process by which a person must declare a statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation before voting in a primary election.

This will close our primary elections and keep outside influences from determining the candidate of any political party. In Tennessee, any registered voter can choose to vote in any primary election by declaring a party affiliation at the polling place. This means that sometimes Democrats vote in Republican primaries (especially in highly contested elections between conservatives and moderates) and vice versa.

Some elected officials continue to defend the current open primary process due to the makeup of their particular district, insisting that it helps them to win elections and is part of the democratic process. In principle, it stands to reason for the sake of fairness and the purity of the ballot box that only members of a party choose their candidate in a primary election.

Conservatives have been trying to correct this in our election laws for years. And it is past time that we fix it!