WOW….
From The Associated Press:
The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld the state of Washington's open primary election system, a setback for the Republican and Democratic political parties in the state.
By a 7-2 vote, the court says the state may use a primary system that allows the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election, even if they are from the same party.
Washington never held a primary under the new system because of legal challenges.
"Wow!" Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed said when told of the decision. "That's terrific! It means the people of the state of Washington are going to be able to control who gets elected through this process."
Reed said the top-two system will take effect with the August primary election.
"This is a victory for the state of Washington," he said.
Reed said the ruling sets a precedent that will allow other states to break political party control on primary elections.
"I think we'll see it around the country," he said.