Register by party (by Rick Beltram Spartanburg Co. GOP Chairman

Rick Beltram,, Chairman, Spartanburg County Republican Party
The Spartanburg County Republican Party and S.C. Republican Party fully endorse legislation to require registration by party. Here in Spartanburg, we have overwhelmingly passed resolutions since 2001 to support this legislation.
With the present system, too many times we find that Democrats are voting in Republican primaries. The Herald-Journal is correct in its assessment that "Primaries are ... the method for members of a particular party to choose their candidate in the general election."
We would urge the Legislature to pass this legislation in the new term to begin in January 2006.
Clearly, the GOP Presidential Preference Primary in 2008 must be a primary for Republicans only. We will see various candidates visiting our state over the next two years. We need to assure these fine folks that they will get nominating votes from Republicans only.