ALESTLE VIEW: Party affiliation should be a guide, not a rule

“Crossover voting” refers to casting your ballot in an election on the side of a political party that you do not otherwise affiliate with. In an open primary or general election, this could be beneficial when you feel like an individual from the opposite party aligns more closely with your views, thoughts or beliefs, even if it’s only on a specific social or political topic. 

In this type of voting, you do not need to be a member of a party in order to vote for their candidate. 

However, in some cases, this can also be used merely to sway the outcome of the election at hand, which is known as “party raiding.” In instances like these, party affiliation was switched after politicians appealed to a state’s demographic and won them over, or if voters wished to deliberately stop a representative from taking the majority and stepping into their position.

This ill-intentioned switching can serve as an argument to stop states from instating open primary or general elections, and instead adopt closed systems where voters can only side with the affiliation they belong to.

Primaries from either side might also provide incentives for people from either affiliation to cross over, although there is not a fundamental reason as to why this will become a trend in current or future elections. 

However, when Democratic or Republican voters genuinely prefer a primary or general candidate from the opposing party, there is no good reason why they should stick with their affiliation simply because of their political group. 

If there is a cause that you believe should be kept or removed from your state, don’t let your affiliation stop you from fighting for your rights. The importance of protecting yourself or the people you care about should be the true priority in deciding where to cast your vote. 

Your opinion matters, and your vote counts towards nominating the candidate you think represents you best. All elections largely dictate political outcomes and switching ballots may benefit you and your community if you perceive party affiliations to be a guiding factor and not one that you must blindly follow. 

Encourage your friends, family members and the people around you to back those who you believe will have your best interest at heart, and not simply the ones you think you are obligated to support.