By Bob Guldin
Originally published August 8, 2003
THE RIGHT to vote is absolutely basic to the American system of free and democratic government. That's why it's strange, and more than a little disturbing, that in several states, U.S. citizens are being deprived of their opportunity to vote in a 2004 presidential primary.
Because of a combination of tight budgets and partisan political maneuvering, at least three states, and probably more, will not hold presidential primaries next year. Legislators in recent months have canceled their states' primaries in Colorado, Kansas and Utah. Budget crunches were a big factor in all three states.
Colorado started the trend. On March 5, Republican Gov. Bill Owens signed a bill eliminating the 2004 primary, for a one-time savings of $2.2 million. The move was part of a major budget-cutting package that slashed $800 million from Colorado's 2002-2003 budget. But in Colorado and elsewhere, there's also a partisan side to the drop-the-primary movement.
That's because President Bush is a shoo-in for renomination, while the Democrats have a vigorous contest with many viable candidates - nine, at the latest count. So Republican strategists figure that holding a 2004 primary will give lots of free publicity to the Democrats while their own nominating process generates close to zero excitement. Canceling the primary, especially in a year of budget austerity, begins to look like a fine idea.
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About 38 states and the District of Columbia plan to hold presidential primaries in 2004. Most states without primaries will hold party caucuses. But some states, including Alaska, Nevada and Wyoming, have not yet planned to hold primaries or caucuses, according to the National Association of Secretaries of State.
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http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4423.htm
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