I imagine there are lots of people who don’t want all kinds of people voting all kinds of things. I thought the big Ann Arbor point was making sure everyone voted on what they wanted and all votes should count, etc. etc. I am surprised by this incredibly partisan stance. Like partisan to the point of being undemocratic.

I would also like to point out that the local Dem mayor/council candidates join state legislative, governor, and congressional candidates in having primaries. We are all one team. Local officeholders can often step up to higher office. Consider this the modern equivalent of the Roman cursus honorum.

In the past, party leaders would pick the party’s candidate, in so-called smoke-filled rooms. Primaries are intended to allow rank and file party members to pick the candidate who will represent their party. This is especially appropriate in a big-tent party like the Democratic Party where various small factions can cooperate to pick a candidate.

In Ann Arbor, the ability of party members to select the party’s candidate in the primary often leads to an uncontested November election. That is not a flaw in the design of the primary system. It is the result of having no party who can compete against the Democrats.

Non-partisan Council elections might address some of the perceived problems of having races determined in light-turnout primaries. It may also create new problems.

For example, if we had open, non-partisan primaries with the top two vote-getters going on to the fall election, what happens with just two primary candidates. Either the primary candidate who gets the majority of the low-turnout primary vote goes unopposed to the fall election, or alternatively, both candidates from the primary repeat their contest in the fall (or there is no primary at all).

It is unfortunate that the Democratic Party dominance of local elections makes it appear that we don’t have a choice in the fall. On the other hand, if the Republicans were to express a platform that appealed to voters, they might do better. The national “brand” for their party is so adverse to our local values that it is unlikely we will see them have much success. I have difficulty finding much sympathy for them.

A moderate Republican or an independent voter may participate in our open primaries. You just need to decide whether participation in the Democratic Party primary is more important that participating in the Republican Party primary. I’m pretty sure that I don’t want a voter who wants to support Rick Snyder for Governor to also help select Democratic Party candidates.

You’re trying to pick a fight about TIME with a publication that has a CLOCK as part of its logo?? ;-)

The polls are now closed.