Amendment 3: All Voters Vote in Primary Elections for State Offices
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Under Amendment 3, registered voters in Florida would be allowed to cast ballots in primary elections regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates getting the most votes in each primary would advance to the general election.
The political committee All Voters Vote spearheaded the drive to put the proposal on the ballot. If approved, it would be a major change from Florida’s longstanding “closed” primary system, which generally limits primaries to voters registered with parties.
The Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Democratic Party united in court to try to block the proposed amendment and were backed by Attorney General Ashley Moody.
"It is our belief that Top Two Open Primaries would have a strong adverse impact on African-American representation in Florida," says the League of Women Voters, which opposes the amendment. "Our position is to support an Open Primary system that would allow for the broadest possible voter participation."