Governor Chafee Supports an End to Master Lever Voting
By ABC6 Chief Political Reporter Mark Curtis
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) has announced he now favors elimination of the “master lever” or straight party voting in Rhode Island.
Instead of people voting in each and every race, they can pull a lever (or draw a line), and just vote for candidates of their party in each race, all at once. If they pull the lever for Democrats, they instantly cast a ballot for Democrats in each and every race on the ballot. Critics say that puts the states minority parties – the Republicans and Moderates – at a competitive disadvantage.
Governor Chafee said, “It is time for Rhode Island to join the majority of states and eliminate the Master Lever from the ballot. Any mechanism that contributes to voter confusion – and worse, voter disenfranchisement – should not be on the ballot. Its time has come.”
The move to eliminate the Master Lever was launched by Moderate Party founder Ken Block, who ran for Governor in 2010. For more information go to www.MasterLever.org.
We will have more on this story tonight on ABC6 News at 5, 6 and 11.
