Evan Smith on Politics: Here’s one of my proposed changes for Washington’s political system

By Evan Smith

As I look back on the 2012 election and forward to the 2013 election, I think about reforms to Washington's system of voting.

Reform No. 1: A rational party-preference system.

When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the voter-approved "top two" primary, it agreed with opponents who said that parties shouldn’t have to accept candidates they don't want; so Washington officials came up with the system in which candidates don't file as Democrats or Republicans, but rather, as "preferring" a party. While most candidates list their party preferences as Democrat or Republican or Green, many use names like “G.O.P. Party,” or "99% Party" or "Senior Say Party" or "Democratic-Republican Party.”

Before someone files for office as preferring the “Birthday Party,” let’s come up with some rational rules, I’d allow candidates to choose from a list of recognized political parties or choose “States no party preference.” For recognized political parties, I’d start with the eight parties that have qualified for the state presidential ballot. Those are the Democratic Party, Republican Party, Libertarian Party, Green Party, Constitution Party, Socialist Workers Party, Justice Party, and Socialism / Liberation Party.

Those eight parties got their ballot positions by submitting petitions with the signatures of 1,000 registered voters. We could have a similar rule for a party to be eligible for preference. I’d allow a smaller number of signatures for choice of party preference.

Some politicians don't want to fix the top-two system because they don't like the primary. But they need to realize that the system will be what the people want until it gives us some really egregious result.

Evan Smith can be reached here.