Voters' Guide to Michigan Presidential Primary

Political pundits are having a lot of fun with the Michigan Presidential Primary, now just nine days away.

Michigan Liberal had this piece a few days ago.

And the Livingston Press and Argus editorialized on the primary Sunday (January 6, 2008). The piece included this startling insight:

"For starters, the taxpayer-funded election appears to be largely conducted for the benefit of the state's two major political parties because Democratic and Republican state party chairs will get exclusive looks at the party preference of all voters."

Got news for you. Political primaries are always conducted "for the benefit of the state's two major political parties." The sole purpose of a primary is to let a political primary pick its candidate. A primary does not elect anybody to any office. It's merely a short-cut way for a political party to agree on a candidate instead of having caucuses or some other system. So by definition, a primary is for the benefit of a major political party and its members.

In the face of such wisdom emanating from the news media, the Michigan Democratic Party has issued a set of guidelines to help voters decide what they want to do come primary day.

Here's the scope from the state party:

1. Voters will vote at their regular polling places between 7 A.M. and 8 P.M.
2. Voters can vote by absentee ballot if they meet one of the requirements – out of town, age 60 or older, disability, etc.
3. The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before January 15, 2008 or December 17, 2007.
4. In order to vote at a polling place, a voter must show a photo ID or sign a statement that they do not have a photo ID with them. Absentee voters do not have to produce a photo ID.
5. Voters will be asked whether they want a Democratic or Republican ballot, and a record will be made of which ballot they take.
6. The voter’s choice of candidate will be secret as in all public elections.
7. The Democratic ballot will have 6 choices:
Hillary Clinton
Christopher Dodd
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich
Uncommitted
Write-in
8. A vote for "uncommitted" is a vote to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention who are not committed or pledged to any candidate. Those delegates can vote for any candidate they choose at the Convention.
9. Supporters of Joe Biden, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson are urged to vote for "uncommitted" instead of writing in their candidates’ names. Write-in votes for those candidates will not be counted under state law because they did not notify the Secretary of State that they are a write-in candidate. For that reason, voters are urged not to waste their vote on a write-in. Vote "uncommitted" instead.

In an editorial for Sunday (January 6, 2007), the Detroit Free Press urged voters not to sit out the primary.

But you decide. That's democracy, as flawed as it may be.