New Poll Shows SCOTUS Decision on Voter Redistricting in Line with Arizonans' Views - Open Primaries Arizona
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New Poll Shows SCOTUS Decision on Voter Redistricting in Line with Arizonans' Views

Posted on June 30, 2015 at 10:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2015
 
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Kellie Ryan
Communications Director
(646) 205-0293

 

New Poll Shows SCOTUS Decision on Voter Redistricting in Line with Arizonans' Views

Open Primaries announces launch of Voter Reform Campaign in Arizona

New York, NY – June 29, 2015 – Open Primaries, a national political reform organization, offered enthusiastic praise today for the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to uphold the constitutionality of the independent redistricting commission previously approved by voter referendum in Arizona. In support of this movement in Arizona, Open Primaries is launching a campaign to help independent voters further reform the electoral process in Arizona. 

"This is a very significant decision, both for our democracy and for the growing political reform movement that was under attack by the Arizona State Legislature and reinforces the people’s ability to make and amend voting rules,” said John Opdycke, President of Open Primaries. “By upholding the constitutionality of the voter referendum, SCOTUS paved the way for the people of Arizona to implement further reforms – which our polling data illustrates is clearly the will of the people.” 

Recent polling data by Open Primaries illustrates that voters support election reforms, especially those that provide independent voters with greater opportunity to participate. Polling in Arizona in April 2015, Open Primaries found that voters were engaged and knowledgeable about their election process and that:

  • 72 percent of voters polled felt there are definitely flaws in Arizona’s closed primary system.
  • 83 percent of voters polled support a change to nonpartisan elections.

"Today's Supreme Court opinion reaffirms the role played by direct democracy in the states to put the interests of all citizens above those of narrow, special interests,” said Patrick McWhorter, Arizona Campaign Director for Open Primaries. “Our movement for election reform will be Arizona's next step toward a government that is accountable to all of our people, and reinforcing the principle, firmly stated today by the Supreme Court, that the people have a right to create the rules that our elected representatives must follow, not the other way around."

Arizona Campaign Launched

Answering the call for election reforms, Open Primaries has launched a campaign to educate voters with the goal of eventually bringing a referendum to implement nonpartisan elections in Arizona.

The movement to reform the primary system is growing across the country.  Activists in Alaska, Arizona, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Florida are working to place nonpartisan primary measures directly on the ballot.  Legislators and Secretaries of State in Mississippi, Illinois, Maine and New Mexico are working to advance legislation for open primaries. The movement is driven by the growth of independent voters (41% in the latest Gallup poll) and success of the “Top Two” system in California, Washington, and Nebraska.

For more information on the campaign visit www.OpenPrimariesAZ.org.

 

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Open Primaries is a national, nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization working to enact open and nonpartisan primary systems, counter efforts to impose closed primaries, educate voters, train and support spokespeople, and participate in the building of local, state and national open primaries coalitions. Open Primaries is a movement of diverse Americans who believe in a simple, yet radical idea: no American should be required to join a political party to exercise their right to vote.