Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/119978
Sarasota News Leader April 5, 2013 Page 10 But what about closing loopholes that limit the votes of independents? "My advice to voters is: Don't register as Independent. We live in a closed primary state," he says. Gruters' own father is a registered Independent, but those who register with neither major party "take themselves out of the primary," he adds. "And they're stuck with the results." "The process is open and we're always looking for new members," Gruters says. "We'd be happy to register people over, and I'm sure we and the Democrats feel the same way." Does he think the nonpartisan charter change has a shot? "Anybody that votes for nonpartisan races is a fool, because they're trying to trick everybody else," he responds. "Why have the parties do everything in secret and behind closed doors?" Reynolds acknowledges that nonpartisan elections would hardly eliminate party influence over the process, but she says that reality is trumped by how the change would give a voice to voters who are now shut out. Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent. Photo by Norman Schimmel that the commissioners will endorse the idea, but he thinks it's worth a shot. If the commission says, "No," that leaves the petition-gathering option. According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, any petition would need 13,869 signatures to make it onto a countywide ballot. Zoller says the Public Interest Coalition is prepared to mount that campaign and to then convince voters that the change is needed. There's "quite a lot of enthusiasm" among civic groups for the idea, he adds, and he thinks the proposal is a winner. "There are those that think it's time to level the playing field." There are four ways to get a charter change on the ballot: the state Legislature or the County Commission can support it, the Charter Review Board can recommend it or citizens can Zoller, himself a Republican, dismisses gather signatures from 5 percent of the popGruters' charge that nonpartisan elections ulation. would only further cloud the process. After the The legislative and review board routes would Brill mess, the write-in candidacy that closed take too long, Zoller says, but the Public Inter- last year's election of County Commissioner est Coalition would like to bring the proposal Charles Hines and the felony charge against to the County Commission to have the board former Sarasota County GOP Chairman Bob add it to the ballot. Given the all-Republican Waechter, "How much worse can it get?" he makeup of the board, he doesn't feel confident asks. "That's about as low as you can go." %