In a last-minute effort to open up the primary process to all voters, Senator Chap Petersen has filed emergency legislation that will ban political parties from requiring its voters to sign a loyalty oath in order to participate in the 2016 presidential primary.
“I’m happy to save the Republican Party from itself,” Senator Petersen said from his office overlooking Capitol Square, as he referred to the upcoming party primaries in which the Republican Party is requiring an oath to participate.
Senator Petersen is a Democrat.
Virginia has no party registration by state law. Virginians have long had the choice of voting in the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries regardless of personal political affiliation.
“The 2016 presidential primaries will be conducted using taxpayer dollars, taxpayer equipment, and non-partisan poll workers,” Petersen said. “Those assets should not used on administering an oath which is counter to our state laws.”
Petersen also noted that the Republican party is asking poll workers to collect voter info such as a phone number and email address. “Again, that is counter to the mission of our non-partisan Electoral Board. Just let people vote and be on their way. State agencies should not be collecting this info.”
Opponents of the oath include conservative talk show host and commenter John Fredericks, former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, and former RPV executive director Shaun Kenney.
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