Shortly before the New York primary, Bernie Sanders was stopped by an independent voter in New York who wanted desperately to cast his ballot for the Vermont senator. He was unable, however, due to New York’s very specific voter deadlines which makes it very hard for a registered independent to switch to either party ahead of the primary election.
New York is one of many states with a closed primary, meaning that independents miss out on the valuable primary step. That is something Bernie Sanders would like to change.
“Today, 3 million people in the state of New York who are independents have lost their right to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. That’s wrong.”
“You’re paying for this election; it’s administered by the state, [and] you have a right to vote. That’s a very unfortunate thing that I hope will change in the future.”
No doubt, Bernie will be criticized for what some consider to be sour grapes, but the fact is that just because an election system is set up one way doesn’t make it the only or the best system. When millions of voters can’t take part in an important step, it feels like voter suppression.
Watch.
WATCH: @BernieSanders tells independent voter by Times Square: “You have a right to vote” https://t.co/1dXt1G3Cauhttps://t.co/PztjYBywWU
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 19, 2016
