http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2006/08/30/cooch-wins/ Blog-Fu for Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park politics. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:06:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2006/08/30/cooch-wins/#comment-1434 The Jaded JD Thu, 31 Aug 2006 00:16:54 +0000 http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2006/08/30/cooch-wins/#comment-1434 Not so. The subject of voter registration by party was not before the trial court last year or before the appeals court this summer. The subject will not be before the trial court again this fall on remand. Regardless of the outcome of the case, creating a system of voter registration by party is within the authority of the legislature. The court may say Virginia may not force the parties to choose nominees by OPEN primaries, but because the OPEN primary is the only primary authorized by state law, parties would be obliged to nominate by canvass, mass meeting, or convention until an alternative primary scheme is enacted by the General Assembly. Even if the court were to mandate closed primaries, the only method of "closing" is the method in the State Party Plan--and that is not a method that depends upon or institutes voter registration by party. Not so. The subject of voter registration by party was not before the trial court last year or before the appeals court this summer. The subject will not be before the trial court again this fall on remand. Regardless of the outcome of the case, creating a system of voter registration by party is within the authority of the legislature. The court may say Virginia may not force the parties to choose nominees by OPEN primaries, but because the OPEN primary is the only primary authorized by state law, parties would be obliged to nominate by canvass, mass meeting, or convention until an alternative primary scheme is enacted by the General Assembly. Even if the court were to mandate closed primaries, the only method of “closing” is the method in the State Party Plan–and that is not a method that depends upon or institutes voter registration by party.

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