Let Florida Voters Decide on Open Primaries!

We, the people of Florida, call upon the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) to place an open primary measure on the 2018 ballot.

In an open primary, all candidates are listed on a single ballot. All voters can vote for any candidate regardless of party, with the two most popular candidates moving on to the general election.

Our closed party primary system is out of date and is failing the people of Florida – Democrats, Republicans, and independents. 3.1 million independent voters are locked out of Florida’s primary elections -- often the only meaningful round of voting. Even Democrats and Republicans can’t choose from among all the candidates. Independents are excluded and all of us are forced into a partisan silo in order to participate. It’s just not working.

Closing the “write-in loophole” is not enough. Florida taxpayers fund the primaries to the tune of $13 million dollars. Publicly funded elections should be open to all voters. We should be able to vote for any candidate in every election.
Recent polling found that over 70 percent of Florida voters support moving to an open primary system. Dozens of Floridians spoke on the need for open primaries during the recent CRC hearings. Open primaries was one of the most discussed topics during the hearing process.

We ask you, the 37 members of the Constitution Revision Commission, which every 20 years is tasked with modernizing our Constitution, to give the voters of Florida the opportunity to enact an open primaries measure in 2018.