Call me old-fashioned, but Virginia's primary system isn't right

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Many of you are probably saying, Al, you must be losing it. How can Democrats cause a Republican to lose in a Republican primary? Simple. The state of Virginia utilizes the “open” primary system, meaning voters can cast ballots in whatever primary they like. If you ask me, this type of system is ludicrous and threatens democracy.

According to results collected by Cantor’s pollster, John McLaughlin, slightly over 46,000 voters turned out in 2012, but this year, more than 65,000 voters showed up. Who were the extra 20,000 voters? Democrats.

McLaughlin noted that Democrats were using the Internet and driving their voters to the open primary. These tactics resulted in an almost 50 percent increase in voter turnout. Even though Cantor ran strong among Republicans, it was the Democratic and independent vote that cost him the primary.

Nineteen states use this primary system to elect nominees, but clearly, as shown in Virginia, it is flawed. Thankfully, here in New York and in many states in the Northeast, we used the old-fashioned primary system, and that’s all right by me. There is no reason why Democrats should be voting in a Republican primary.

I may be open to reforms like early voting and mail-in ballots, but we need a type of system that protects against the political games that took place in Virginia.

The Democrats will have an easier race against David Brat, but it is a heavily Republican district, and Brat still has a very good chance of winning the seat. Now, instead of having a seasoned, hardworking congressman who has proven experience reaching across the aisle for the better of the country, we may have an inexperienced Tea Party conservative causing more headaches in Washington.

This is not democracy, friends. On that note, I should remind you that next Tuesday is primary day in New York, and there are many important elections on Long Island. To ensure that your voice is heard and you don’t end up regretting the outcome, get out and vote!

Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.

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