Supporters of Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are suing the state of California over what they claim are confusing rules for the upcoming Presidential primary, the LA Times reported. California primary elections for positions other than President are run by the state, and voters can only vote in the primary of the party they’re registered with. However, presidential primaries in California are different because they’re run by the parties. While the GOP race is only for registered Republicans, Democrats have opened their primary to voters registered with “no party preference.”
The lawsuit calls for an extension of the registration dateline for voters to be eligible to participate in the primary. The current deadline for requesting a ballot by mail is May 31, and they want voter registration to be kept open until June 7, the day of the primary. The claim is being made by two voters, as well as the Voting Rights Defense Project (an organization campaigning on behalf of Bernie Sanders) and the American Independent Party, whose primary is also open to those with no party preference. Libertarians in California also have an open primary.
William Simpich, the attorney who filed the lawsuit on Friday, also wants election officials to raise awareness of the rules before the current deadline. “There’s mass confusion,” he said to the Times.
