Rebuttal to Argument Against Proposition 198

The party chairmen don't want you to have a choice unless it matches theirs. If all voters are allowed to participate, they fear they will lose their power, as will the hard-liners and special interest groups who support them.

YOUR YES VOTE ON PROPOSITION 198--

• Makes elected officials more responsive to the voters, not the party chairmen. Unbalanced party registration in most legislative districts, combined with growing numbers of independent voters, mean millions of California voters are denied a choice under the current system.
• Encourages candidates to address issues, not just partisanship.
• Gives control back to voters, not special interest groups which use the existing closed primary system to maintain their control.
• Strengthens the parties by increasing voter participation and by electing candidates from both parties with broader bases of voter support. In states with open primaries, political parties have become stronger and healthier.

SUPREME COURT SUPPORTS BROADER PARTICIPATION

Contrary to claims by the party chairmen, the Supreme Court has strongly supported the right to expand participation in primary elections:``We note that the appellant's direst predictions about destruction of the integrity of the election process and decay of responsible party government are not borne out by the experience of the 29 states which have chosen to permit more substantial openness in their primary systems . . .''

--U.S. Supreme CourtVote YES on Proposition 198 to make political parties and elected officials more responsive to the majority of voters.

LUCY KILLEA
State Senator, 39th District (Independent)

HOUSTON FLOURNOY
State Controller, 1966-1974

DAN STANFORD
Chairman, California Fair Political Practices Commission, 1983-1986