GOP Closes its Pres. Primary to Party Members Only

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) If you want to vote for Huckabee, Romney or any other Republican in the upcoming presidential primary, better make sure you're a registered member of the Grand Old Party. State Elections Official Joe Demma says the GOP is closing it's primary:

"The Democrats are allowing registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary," says Demma. "The Republicans are allowing only registered Republicans."

It's a state party rule that only Republicans can participate in their primaries. But Demma also points out that people who are officially "unaffiliated" on the voter registry can opt to affiliate with the Republican Party on Election Day and participate in the primary. Voters registered as Democrats, Independents or other party members won't have that option, says Demma.

Voters have until January 29th to register and still participate in the Presidential Primary on February Fifth. State lawmakers coughed up $3.5 million to hold the primary in hopes of attracting more attention from candidates.

Nearly all of the front-runners have visited Utah in the last year, despite the fact that twenty states are now holding primaries on the same day.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom and Election Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW