From the POST-GAZETTE:
…The question is whether Proposition 14, which passed with 54 percent of the vote, will help or hinder the political process — and not just for Californians. Given the size of the state and its reputation as an incubator of trends, this experiment may very well have a wider influence.
Modeled on a Washington state law in effect since 2008, the California measure replaces party primaries with a type of open primary. Starting in 2012, voters will cast a ballot for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation in most races (but not the presidential primary, which will remain partisan). The top two will go on to compete in the general election — never mind that both might be from the same party.
As promoted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the idea of Proposition 14 is to help elect more centrist politicians who are not so beholden to their parties and so better placed to break through the partisan gridlock…
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