Illinois needs open primaries

This last election was a joke with less than 25 percent of eligible voters taking the time to vote. The voters are turned off and who can blame them! Here in Illinois we have a semi-closed primary where you must declare the ballot of a political party and must vote for candidates within a particular party.

Democratic or Republican parties determine who the independent voter can vote for in primaries leaving independent voters out in the cold or turned off from the selection process. With more than 40% of the population being independent votes who wants to declare themselves for one party? There are more independent voters than ever and this will continue to grow because they are tired of the partisanship dominating and corrupting our government.

What we need in Illinois is an open primary where we can vote for the candidates in either party. Fourteen states currently have open primaries and they are working well with much higher voter turnout than here in Illinois.

It's time that independents speak out and demand that democracy and the voters come before party interest. Demand true representation. Insist that your congressmen put on the next ballot, a referendum for open primaries.

Mike Brown

Mount Prospect