A misconception about parties and primaries

A letter in the Daily Herald stated a common misconception that one must reveal party affiliation at primary elections. That is not true. You are only allowed to vote once. Since the Democratic and Republican primaries are held at the same time, you must choose either party ballot and cannot vote on both ballots. But you are not required to actually belong to the party of the ballot that you choose, and there is no check or proof required to see that you do.

You may choose either ballot according to who you wish to vote for or against. If you are Democrat and choose the Republican ballot, then you will not be able to vote for any Democratic candidates, but you can vote against Republican candidates who you do not want to win. A Republican can do the same by choosing the Democratic ballot.

I choose different ballots in different primaries according to whether I prefer to vote for specific candidates of one party or against specific candidates of the other party. I am not affiliated with either party. Anyone can do the same thing. You can choose the Independent ballot, but you might not get to vote on more than referendums.

Rich Lorimer

Streamwood