I really dislike the new system, and miss the blanket primary so much that I only voted the non-partisan campaigns,(I'm in Thurston County, and received 3 ballots) essentially giving up my vote in the partisan campaigns. I wil continue to do so until this system is changed. Thanks for the oppotunity to comment on this important issue.

Come on folks, this is not nuclear physics. The ballot simply isn't that hard to figure out. The instructions are straightforward. Clearly people are protesting, not getting lost.

I'm seriously thinking about resigning my voter registration card. When Government can tell me who I can or can't vote for; that is not a democracy that I am proud of. I threw my absentee ballot in the garbage where it belongs.

Now with more then 50 parties to choose from, why do we only get 2 of them?
It is very discriminatory to only have 2 on the ballot. If we are a state that has to choose a party then there better be all of them represented, not just the ones in power. And here is another problem, what about those of us who are a ‘Decline to State”, most states have that on their registration, but NOT this state.
This just shows how discrimination is still a part of our society. I think if the state wants to keep this “chose a party system” then they should have all of them on the ballot, and end the discrimination!
SO, we have a lot of lobbying to do with our Government on changing, or having everyone included. For the Record, I am a decline to State, voter!

Not having grown up in the rarified air or Washington State, I have voted in more than one primary system. (Thank goodness I was military while stationed in Louisiana; look what the top-two primary system consistently does for their quality of state government.)

Without cracking a civics book, this site briefly explains the primary processes of the various United States. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election

Frankly I was baffled when I found out that in WA ANYONE could vote for anyone regardless of political party leanings in a primary. I think the courts were right in dumping the blanket primary. In fact, I think that to vote in a primary we should have to declare our party...or be independent, vote for the non-partisan positions only and see what turns up for the GENERAL election. No passion for the primary candidates or their party's political platform? Don'r ever donate to a party or any candidates to get their view in front of the public? Then wait til the general election to chime in!

That I know of, there is no limit to the number of parties that may appear on a ballot; they just have to have creditable support.

In short, most folks here seem to want it both ways....vote in a primary but not support a party. The chaos that would result from 50 parties would be laughable...especially in King County! ..oh wait, there's only one there now!

I'd be for state conventions of the parties selecting the candidates. Then the local voters would have a chance to determine prinary winners, instead of the Progressive Majority in DC who is trying with all their financial backing to buy a state Senate seat in the 35th Dem race. And the complaints about taxpayers paying for primaries would be OBE and parties would have freedom of association.

i was led to believe from your up front show tonight that i could register my vehement opposition to the kind of negative commercials that have been run against alexander in the state supreme court race. i am disappointed to go into your website and not find that oportunity!! it is horrible and your station should not show those ads! you should editorialize against independant campaigns.

The blanket primary needs to come back. I am an Independent voter, as in my vote goes to whoever I feel can do the job best overall. I don't care if it is a Republican or Democrat or Green or none of the above!! I want to cast my vote without having to decide on a party. Until then, why should I bother? The decision to elect a person should be based on his/her merits, not on the party he/she is representing!!

I really don't the new system, it is very discriminatory, please consider changing it

If you want to protest the current primary format then check both the Republican and Democratic boxes. I don’t vote along party lines and never will. That would be ignorant and Un-American.

I believe in independent voting and choose not to be affiliated with any particular party. We voted on this issue before and of course the two main party's took it to court and got our vote overturned. Let us vote on it again and vote out who ever opposes a legitimate free voting system.

It is outrageous that we must declair. I refuse.
I am an independent, and will vote for whomever I wish to vote for.
Just another way democrats are squashing our voices and trying to secretly steal votes. What happened to our vote for a viaduct??? I want an elevated highway! I am sure you all do too...unless you are power monger democrats trying to use all of our tax dollars so that they can declair a shortage and raise our taxes AGAIN...and then vote themselves higher raises.
Instead of two parties, we should be picking from twenty!

We should have the freedom to vote for the PERSON we want to see in office. I am neither a Democrat or Republican and support leaders from both parties. Our blanket primary worked for Washington! The parties are showing sour grapes. Let us be allowed to vote our will, then the top vote receivers, one of each party, will move on. That will give the parties a clearer vision of the public position anyway as the top person for party X might be the 4th name on the list of votes received! The party system is outdated and we shouldn't let them dictate who we can choose as our leaders. They already tell us our limited choices for President....

Robert, We love your show but wish you were still on at 4:30.

Frankly, I am tired of hearing that we "aren't paying attention to instructions". Like we are not smart enough to figure out that the parties have done a number on the FREE VOTE. I vote both Dem & Rep and refuse to by put in a box.

I suggest the parties go back to their old caucus system or begin paying for the Primary. Leave the Primary to the Non-Partisan races only.

DUH! Here's your answer in every one of these responses. And, they are ALL right on.

The Washington State ballot is un-American,
undemocratic, & outrageous.

I will mail in my protest vote with both boxes checked and will then protest this discimination
through our legislature.