Are you an independent voter? You aren't if you checked this box

[FSogol]

With nearly half a million registered members, the American Independent Party is bigger than all of California's other minor political parties combined. The ultraconservative party's platform opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and calls for building a fence along the entire United States border.

Based in the Solano County home of one of its leaders, the AIP bills itself as “The Fastest Growing Political Party in California."

But a Times investigation has found that a majority of its members have registered with the party in error. Nearly three in four people did not realize they had joined the party, a survey of registered AIP voters conducted for The Times found.

That mistake could prevent people from casting votes in the June 7 presidential primary, California's most competitive in decades.

Rest of John Meyers (LA Times) story here:

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-trailguide-04182016-are-you-an-independent-voter-you-arent-if-you-ch-1460979565-htmlstory.html

and NPR's coverage of the story:
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/18/474725586/many-american-independent-party-voters-in-california-are-mis-registered

x-posted from Good reads.

This probably makes June 7, game over time for the Sanders campaign. Voters thought independent mean independent, but in California it meant AIP, a RW political party.

[NanceGreggs]

1. This really IS a terrible situation.

A box on the form stating something like "I am an independent NOT affiliated with any political party" would have avoided confusion.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. None of the above is the name of a candidate in Canada

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/30/candidates-legal-name-change-puts-none-above-on-ballot-in-canada.html

[SDJay]

3. You Have Until May 23

to make the change and still be able to vote on June 7. Of course, if 300,000 people are unwittingly registered with a party that has a closed primary, how many of them will realize what needs to be done in time?

My guess is a good chunk of them if CA is actually relevant in a primary election, but we shall see.

[RandySF]

4. I thought this was the hip, well-informed crowd.

Why do we "low-information" registered Dems have so few problems?

[FSogol]

5. I have a neighbor who is a proud so-called independent voter. "I don't get caught up with labels"

he'll say, or "I don't pay attention to party politics, I vote for the best person"

Who he has supported since I met him:

Bob Dole
George Bush
George Bush, "he's doing a bad job, but I just can't trust Kerry."
John McCain (who he called John McClane)
Mitt Romney "who didn't get us into war with Iraq like Obama"
I sure he's excited as hell to vote for Trump, but if I ask , he will say, "HRC and Sanders look like good candidates..."

His independence from politics is a sham. He's a brainless Republican and too chicken shit to admit it.

[nemo137]

6. This is why I don't put a ton of stock in the "Independents are 40% of the electorate" line

Most people aren't actually independent. Most people have a worldview and set of opinions, and vote in a way that's consistent with that.

[FSogol]

7. Totally agree. n/t

[KingFlorez]

8. That has been happening for years

AIP's numbers always have been somewhat inflated because of the confusion.