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Quinn Wants to Change Primary Election Rules
Gov. Pat Quinn is trying to change the law regarding voting in primaries.

Under current law, a primary voter must declare his choice of party to the election judges, and that choice is a matter of public record. The governor has issued an amendatory veto to change the law so that the voter's choice of primary is private. He says that's how voters want it, and are sometimes reluctant to vote in a primary for fear of a social or job-related stigma if their choice of party is found out.

The argument in favor of the current system is that political parties are entitled to know who their members are and organize around them. Quinn says in modern times, that can be done via Facebook.

The underlying bill requires the Board of Elections to post a voters' guide on-line for primaries, just as the law already requires for the general election. Lawmakers have three options regarding the governor's amendatory veto:

* Accept the amendment, in which case the original bill and the amendment would become law
* Override the veto, which would turn the original bill into law
* Do nothing, in which case the whole bill dies.

(Illinois Radio Network)
07 13 10 by Newsroom
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