If you’re a registered independent in California, leaning left in this 2008 Presidential election, but feeling left out of the super-hyped Super Tuesday festivities, this post is for you. Come to the polls Tuesday because… you can vote! In 2004, Democrats changed the rules to allow independents to participate in their party’s presidential primary. That’s good news for the state’s fastest growing group of registered voters. Independents get to partake in the Clinton/Obama rumble. (But you can’t weigh in on McCain/Romney/Huckabee because the Republican party allows only their own party to vote for their candidates.)
Of course, this leaves a lot of us playing the guessing game because no one really knows which Democratic candidate you independents will support. But with the political scene charged up to an intensity I’ve never witnessed before in my short politically active life, enjoy being courted to no end.
This is how to play. First, make sure you are registered as an independent. In other words, if you checked “decline to state” on your registration form, you’re good to go— you’re officially an independent. Next, when you get to the polling station, you have to ASK for a Democratic ballot. Fail to do this and you’re automatically handed a nonpartisan ballot. Now here’s the hard part: choose the best candidate. That’s it. Make history, you independent, you.
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