A vital part of the political process occurs in the primary elections, during which voters registered in a specific political party select their candidate to run in the general election against an opposing political party.

For example, Republican Party voters would select their candidate to run against the Democratic Party nominee. But what about voters who are independent and haven’t registered in a specific political party?

In many states, the primaries are “closed.” That is, only Republicans can vote in the Republican primary, only Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary, etc.

In Arizona, independent voters are allowed to vote in the Republican and Democratic primaries. This “open primary” system has raised questions in the minds of many. The idea is essentially this: how can someone who isn’t part of our group have a say in who becomes our group’s candidate? For many, this just doesn’t seem right and there has been much discussion and effort to change the system.

On Tuesday, May 19, Fountain Hills AZ Tea Party welcomes a staunch and vocal advocate for a closed primary system in Arizona. A.J. Lafaro is the past chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Committee and is well versed on this timely and important topic.

A.J. will present his thoughts about the current primary setup in our state and the reasons why it should be changed. You are invited to join us at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at the FHUSD Learning Center (Palisades and Golden Eagle boulevards) for what promises to be an informative evening. Admission is free. Donations to cover expenses are gratefully accepted.

All interested parties are welcome to come, bring some friends, listen, learn, and ask questions. We hope to see you there! For more info, visit www.fhteaparty.org.