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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) wrote a Letter to the Editor in The Advocate opposing the Louisiana Legislature’s vote to switch the state from an open primary to a closed primary system. According to polling, 97% of Louisianans do not want to spend millions of dollars on more elections. The change to a closed primary system is estimated to cost taxpayers $135 million over 10 years while Louisiana already faces a $64 million deficit next fiscal year.
“Over ten years, $135 million taxpayer dollars will pay for more elections, including $61 million over the next three years. That’s for a mere 28 officials out of almost 5,000. By the way, the Legislature doesn’t know how to pay for it, or at least it has not told anyone how they will do so,” wrote Dr. Cassidy.
“Closed primaries also mean tens of thousands of Louisiana voters will not be able to vote. They are footing the bill for what the sponsor of the closed primary legislation has called a “club,” which is a political party that doesn’t want to let non-affiliated voters in but is still making them pay the bill anyway,” continued Dr. Cassidy.
“If you want to have an effective delegation, keep your current system. If you want to have Louisiana taxpayers pay the dues for clubs that you’re not invited to, change to closed primaries. We need the Legislature to be as fiscally conservative as they campaigned to be. Spend $135 million on things that are a priority, not on dues for a club,” concluded Dr. Cassidy.
Read the full letter here
