[EL] Basic Arguments for State Administration of Elections?

[Sal Peralta]

Thank you Richard.  Surely there are others?  Is there a public interest in ensuring the security or integrity? Or broad participation?


Sent from my iPad

On Aug 20, 2013, at 5:14 PM, Richard Winger <richardwinger at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The argument for states administering party primaries is very basic...the parties can't afford to administer them.  In 1972 in Bullock v Carter, the US Supreme Court unanimously struck down mandatory filing fees for candidates in Texas primaries.  They were as high as $9,000.  The Texas Attorney General pointed out that the filing fees were the only way parties had to raise the money to pay for primary administration, but the state still lost the case.  So then, naturally, the legislature passed a bill saying the taxpayers would pay for primary administration.
> 
>  
> Richard Winger
> 415-922-9779
> PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
> 
> From: Salvador Peralta <oregon.properties at yahoo.com>
> To: "law-election at UCI.edu" <law-election at uci.edu> 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 4:12 PM
> Subject: [EL] Basic Arguments for State Administration of Elections?
> 
> 
> Most folks take it largely for granted in the United States, that although political parties are private organizations, that there is nevertheless some public interest in having the state administer primary elections of (at least) the major political parties.
> 
> Can anyone point me to some references that might include the main arguments in favor of the state administering primary elections in the United States, rather than the parties administering them?
> 
> Alternately, would anyone care to offer a few of the main (nutshell) arguments for the state interest in administering primary elections of major political parties?
> 
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