- May 4, 2024
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By: Joe Hannoush, Libertarian candidate for Florida House of Representatives for District 25
Amendment 3 is misleading. Almost all of the folks I’ve talked to about ballot question 3 don’t know what it actually does and/or know what the current process is. The most common misconception is that NPA or third-party registered voters can’t vote in the primary elections. Myself, as a registered Libertarian, voted in two partisan elections (tax collector, public defender) this past primary election because all candidates from each race were from one party.
I also voted in the five other nonpartisan races (four judicial races and one for County Council Chair). My ballot would have been exactly the same as a registered Republican in my household other than an election for an intra-Party seat for State Committee for the local Republican Party. The only difference if there was a registered Democrat in my household was a primary for the Congressional seat. That’s it. If anyone cares enough — outside of Democrats — to vote in a Democrat primary, all they have to do is change their voter registration to Democrat 29 days prior to the primary election date. It’s simple and can be done online. Amendment 3 passing would not change any of this. Amendment 3 only changes state-level elections. Congressional primaries would still be closed.
What it does change is currently third parties and independent/NPA candidates are guaranteed a spot on the General Election ballot along with a Republican and a Democrat, for state-level races. If Amendment 3 passes, they will have to go up against each other in a very low turnout (about 30% in Volusia!) and partisan voter mentality of a primary election where most average voters aren’t paying attention. Only one-third of registered Democrats and Republicans even bothered to vote in this years primary election in Volusia County!
Any grassroots, independent, third party and low-name recognition candidates will be gone before most voters notice they were running. There will only be two choices for each race on the general election ballot for all state-level elections. Including only two for governor. We literally could have only two choices for governor — and they can be from the same party. Don’t think that’ll happen? If this was in place in 2018, it would have been two candidates from one party for governor and no other choices. Period. If you care about having a choice for Democrat, Republican, NPA/independent or any third party, vote no on Amendment 3! Let’s not disenfranchise any voters!
