Maryland Primary System Under Fire

Addison Nelson

Maryland Primary System Under Fire #BreakingNews, #TrendingNews, #WorldNews, #DailyUpdates, #NewsToday, #LiveNews, #GlobalNews, #TopStories, #CurrentEvents, #HotNews

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00:00Annapolis, Maryland. A new lawsuit filed in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court is challenging the

00:07legality of Maryland's closed primary election system, arguing that it violates the state's

00:12constitution by denying unaffiliated voters access to taxpayer-funded elections. The suit,

00:20brought by five unaffiliated Maryland voters and backed by former Lieutenant Governor Boyd

00:26Rutherford, contends that the current system unjustly excludes nearly 950,000 voters,

00:33roughly a quarter of the state's electorate, who choose not to affiliate with a political party.

00:40These voters are currently barred from participating in the state's primary elections,

00:45unless a political party explicitly allows it. Under Maryland's semi-closed primary system,

00:52political parties can choose whether to let unaffiliated voters participate in their

00:57primaries. In practice, however, both major parties, Democratic and Republican, have typically

01:05restricted access, leaving a large segment of voters without a voice in crucial early-stage elections.

01:12This is a matter of fairness and constitutional rights, said Rutherford. Taxpayer dollars fund

01:18these elections, and every taxpayer deserves a say in them. The plaintiffs are seeking a court ruling

01:25declaring the closed primary system unconstitutional. They also request an injunction to prevent state

01:31funds from being used to conduct these restricted elections. While efforts to open Maryland's

01:37primaries through legislation have repeatedly stalled in the General Assembly, this legal challenge

01:43represents a fresh push, this time through the courts. The case is supported by the Open Primaries

01:50Education Fund, a non-profit organization advocating for more inclusive election systems nationwide.

01:59If successful, the lawsuit could reshape how primary elections are held in Maryland,

02:05potentially opening the door to broader voter participation and setting a precedent for similar

02:10challenges in other states.

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