(Photo Credit: Night Owl City/Flickr)
It’s been nearly five years since California voters approved Proposition 14, which fundamentally changed how state and federal candidates are elected. It has lots of different names: top-two, open primary, blanket primary, or nonpartisan primary.
Despite the wide range of names, there is general consensus about the system: it has dramatically changed the way voters elect representatives and consequently changed the way candidates and parties campaign and even how incumbents govern.
This reform to the state’s elections system deserves to have a conversation about what has changed and what we can see changing in the future. To do that California Forward teamed up with the Independent Voter Project to host the Nonpartisan Primary Summit on August 19 in Sacramento, California.
The Nonpartisan Primary Summit will feature Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Senator Steve Glazer as keynote speakers. In addition to our honorable keynotes, three panels have been invited to discuss what the reform has meant for voters, what the future holds for nonpartisan reform, and how the reform has changed California elections from the point of view of elected officials and interest groups.
The Summit will give attendees an opportunity to ask hot button questions of academics, elected officials, political consultants, and interest group principals. As co-sponsors of the Summit we are excited to hear the feedback, questions, and responses by everyone who attends.
Leading up to August 19, CA Fwd will be featuring interviews, articles, and other commentaries regarding the nonpartisan primary. So watch this space and follow us on Twitter.
Speaking of space, the RSVP list is filling up and time is running out to register for the Nonpartisan Primary Summit.
Check out California Forward’s story archive on the state’s voter-approved, nonpartisan primary and the effect its had on elections and governance so far.
