Politics

Q&A: Parties' penalties cut power of state's vote

By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published January 19, 2008

What is the deal with the Florida presidential primary?

Florida's Legislature voted last year to move the state's primary to Jan. 29. The move scrambled the schedule that both national parties had laid out for the primaries, which ensured only Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada would hold contests before Feb. 5. As a result, penalties were imposed.

What penalties?

The Democratic National Committee stripped away all delegates Florida Democratic voters would have awarded toward the nomination. Florida Republicans lost half their delegates.

Will my vote for a Democratic presidential candidate count on Jan. 29?

You can vote for your candidate, but officially the results won't matter. Remember, these primaries are about divvying up delegates (roughly based on the number of popular votes a candidate gets), and winning the presidential nomination requires winning enough delegates. Without delegates to award, the Florida Democratic results don't carry official significance.

So why bother voting in the Democratic primary?

Florida is still a big, big state. More than 4-million Democrats are registered to vote in the primary so even a low turnout, say 25 percent, would be 1-million voters. The results will be hard to ignore, which is why most observers expect Florida's primary results to affect candidate momentum going into Super Tuesday, the next week. On that day, Feb. 5, voters in 22 states go to the polls.

Will my vote for a Republican presidential candidate count?

Yes. The results will determine how Florida's Republican delegates are allotted. After the penalty, there are 57 delegates.

What if I'm an independent? Can I vote on Jan. 29?

Florida's primary is closed, which means only registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary and registered Republicans in the Republican primary. However, there is a property tax amendment on the ballot that independents can vote on.

Is it possible that Florida's delegates will ultimately be counted when Democrats hold their national convention, Aug. 25-28 in Denver?

Yes, it's possible. But the process is complicated. The person who wins the nomination can't simply decide unilaterally to recognize Florida's delegates. Technically, that decision will be made by the Credentialing Committee of the convention, and that group is made up of 186 members from each state. If Florida wants to send its delegates to the convention, it will have to petition that committee.

Are the candidates campaigning in Florida?

Among Democrats, no. After Florida lost its delegates, the major Democratic candidates signed a pledge to boycott campaigning here for the primary.

Meanwhile, all of the Republican candidates are campaigning in Florida, and you'll see a lot more of them starting Sunday, when Florida is front and center as the next primary state.

[Last modified January 19, 2008, 03:24:35]