Under a proposal expected to be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California primary elections for the 2008 presidential office would be moved from June to February.
Additionally, in an attempt to involve more voters in the elections process, the California Democratic Party will allow independents to vote in its primaries.
Both the Democratic and the Republican primaries would be held Feb. 5, 2008. But the California Republican party, citing existing Republican National Committee rules and California party bylaws, will not allow non-party voters to participate in its primaries, said Hector Barajas, a spokesman for the California Republican Party.
Bob Mulholland, a campaign advisor for the California Democratic Party, said he hopes including independents at the early stages of the election will encourage younger voters to become involved in choosing a Democratic presidential candidate.
He added that he hopes getting involved early will give young voters momentum to stay involved throughout the elections process.
Currently, 20 percent of voters consider themselves independent and the percentages are even higher among young people, Mulholland said.
With exit polls indicating that independents tend to lean 2-to-1 toward the Democratic party, Mulholland said he believes voters will see the party message of inclusiveness as a powerful one.
But Heather Gonzalez, the Bruin Republicans committee whip, said a majority of young Californians either are not registered to vote or do not choose to vote in primary elections regardless of their party affiliation.
“By changing the rules on primary voting, I don’t know how much it will affect the youth,” she said.
Mulholland, on the other hand, said he believes including independents engages voters and helps them establish a positive relationship with the Democratic Party.
But Gonzalez said the real challenge is motivating young people to register to vote in the first place.
“The Democrats are opening their doors, and perhaps the Republicans are not doing the same, but they’re opening their doors to those who have registered. The larger problem is getting them to register at all,” she said.
Gabe Rose, president of Bruin Democrats, said he believes unaffiliated voters often judge politicians by their platforms rather than by their party. As a result, including independents in primaries will give both political parties an opportunity to better choose a candidate that speaks to non-partisan and swing voters.
“All across the country, young people provide the margin of victory,” Rose said. “Continuing to bring in young people and independents will be helpful to the country.”
But Gonzalez said she believes restricting primaries to voters loyal to one party may not be a bad thing.
“Part of the reason we have primaries is so the base of a party, the people who are most loyal and dedicated to the party, can say who they feel is most qualified for the presidency,” she said.
Republicans have considered allowing independents to vote in the primaries but due to existing Republican National Committee rules and California party bylaws, they have not been able to make any changes, Barajas said. In addition, the question of including independents was not discussed until after the Republican convention last month. If changes are to be made, they will have to wait until the next Republican convention in September so the general members of the party can vote on the issue. As a result, changes to the rules will take time and consideration, Barajas said.
But if there is one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on, it is that moving the primary elections to February will help California voters have more of a say in the presidential race.
States such as New Hampshire and Iowa have historically had the edge over California in deciding which candidates will survive the primary elections, Mulholland said.
“With Iowa starting as early as Jan. 14, California didn’t want to be the only girl without a prom dress,” said Mulholland.
By moving the elections to February, candidates will still have to fight to win California’s support before substantial decisions have been made, Bajaras said.