Sanders says California makes it too hard for independents to vote in primary

[left-of-center2012]

On the eve of the Nevada caucuses, Bernie Sanders took a detour to California to strengthen his support in a state that is crucial to his path to the Democratic presidential nomination.

Many Californians who are not registered with a political party, he said, might not be aware that they must specifically request a Democratic ballot to vote in the party’s presidential primary.

As a result, millions of voters “may find it impossible” to cast ballots in the Democratic primary, “and that seems to me to be very, very wrong,” Sanders said.

Sanders, who campaigned later in Bakersfield, is hoping for a large turnout of independent voters, called No Party Preference in California to differentiate from the American Independent Party. But just 9% of them have requested Democratic primary ballots so far.

More alarming for Sanders is that less than 5% of independents who are Latino and less than 5% of voters under 35 years old have requested Democratic primary ballots, according to Political Data, a nonpartisan election data firm. Those are two of the voter groups that support Sanders the most in California.

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-02-21/bernie-sanders-california-primary-independents

[silverweb]

1. Might not be aware?

They'd have to live under a boulder on an isolated island somewhere. There's been a ton of publicity about this and it's not a new thing at all. This "makes it too hard" complaint is BS (not Bernie Sanders).

[padfun]

2. That's bullshit

If you are registered as no party, you get a card in the mail asking which party you want a ballot for.

Your choices are:
Democratic Party
American Independent Party
Libertarian Party

Closed Ballots (ones you cannot join)
Republican Party
Law and Order Party
Green Party

[msongs]

3. its all a plot hatched in 1875 to keep bernie out of the white house lol nt

[CalFione]

4. Independents shouldn't be allowed to vote in Democratic primaries

why should people who aren’t in an organization have a say in who that organization selects as its leaders?

[Codeine]

5. California makes voting incredibly simple.

We all got mailers explaining this stuff, it’s on the sample ballots, etc. You’d have to be deliberately obtuse to miss this information.

[SharonClark]

6. It's part of his victimization theme.

California now.
The Democratic Convention later.
He's building up to his "I've been screwed" speech to his followers.