Questions and answers of the day – How to vote in the Florida primary and why candidates from the opposing party are on the ballot
Each day I present a listener question submitted in one of these ways.
E-mail: [email protected]
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the talkback feature – the microphone button on our station’s page in the iHeart app.
Today’s entry: Talkback question to vet opposing party candidates in the primaries.
Conclusion: This is one of the most common questions asked in the Florida primary every election cycle: how to vet opposing party candidates when there are races that only include opposing party candidates who are responsible for their own voter registration. Another related question I was asked recently was why there should only be opposing party candidates in certain races when the August 20 election in Florida is considered a primary, that is, an election in which registered party voters choose their party’s candidates who will face opposing party candidates and/or independents in the general election. This serves as a reminder that with Florida’s booming population and record net immigration to the state, we always have an influx of new voters from one election cycle to the next – in addition to newly registered voters in Florida. The Florida primary in August can be confusing for new voters without additional context, and I’ll start by addressing why that is.
While the August election in Florida is called a “primary,” there are many races and issues that will be decided in the August primary. For example, as a registered Republican, I had nine races to choose from on my Palm Beach County ballot (eight of which have candidates and PBC’s Question 1). One of those races has only Democrats to choose from, and five of the results will be final with the results of tomorrow’s election. In other words, while tomorrow’s election is called a “primary,” most of what I voted for is being decided now, not in November, and that’s true for many Floridians across the state. Some of the races are so fixed by nature, such as nonpartisan judge elections and school board elections. Other races are decided due to a lack of political opposition. For example, if you are registered with a particular political party, but certain races only have candidates from an opposing political party to choose from, that’s because there are no other candidates from another party (including independents) running in those races. These races are then declared from the primaries to the general election, as the winner of the potential primary is automatically the winner of that race.
This is a particularly important issue because far too often, registered NPAs or minor party voters think there is no point in participating in the August primary because there is nothing for them to vote on. This is obviously not the case. On the ballot of every registered voter in the state of Florida is an election that will be decided tomorrow, regardless of party registration status. An example of this discrepancy can be found among those who participated in early voting.
- Florida’s registered NPAs and minor party voters make up about 29% of registered voters
- By Sunday there were only approx. 13% of those who have already voted are registered NPAs or voters of smaller parties
In other words, those who are not registered with either of the two major parties are significantly less than half as likely to vote, and this is historically typical. The massive underrepresentation of these voters is often due to an information gap. As for how to vet candidates from opposing political parties and non-partisan campaigns… A few weeks ago, I the topic taken up but for those who may have missed it, here it is (while changing one of my recommendations due to proximity to the elections, as tomorrow is election day)…
Partisan race
What issues are most important to you in the race for this particular office? Once you have those issues clearly defined, you can look specifically for answers to those questions and see if a candidate stands out to you the most on those issues. Even if multiple candidates appear to be on similar points, I often find that if I prioritize what’s most important and seek those specific answers starting from the candidate’s website, I can see differences on those issues, or at least in the priority of those issues, among those candidates. If that doesn’t help…
Check the endorsements. If there are particular organizations or people whose opinions you respect, look for them on the candidates’ endorsement pages. You’ll likely discover names and organizations you’re familiar with that could help you if you’re having trouble making a decision.
Non-partisan races
Much like partisan elections, they look for the issues. Where do they stand? How important are the issues they raise as your main concerns? If you find they focus on issues you care about, you may have found your candidate. If you find they focus on issues you don’t find particularly relevant or disagree with, you may be able to rule them out. The process of elimination (or voting for the candidate you disagree with the least) has always been common among conservatives in South Florida.
Endorsements can be particularly helpful in nonpartisan elections. Again, look for organizations and individuals and try to find ones that you consider significant – in one way or another. Sometimes it quickly becomes clear how potentially partisan many nonpartisan candidates are.
I hope this was helpful and have fun voting!
