Party primaries cause confusion

Tennessee open primaries: partisan confusion, independent inclusion

Shelbyville Times Gazette
Wednesday, April 19, 2006By Clint Confehr
....With Oalmann was Dot Hathaway who said "I had been a Democrat for years, but I'm not anymore."
Shirley Cleek, a poll worker who helps voters with the voting machines, said, "Just because you voted Republican (in the primary this spring) doesn't mean you have to do that for the rest of your life."
Oalmann was born and raised in Bedford County, but she moved to Louisiana and lived there for much of her adult life. She's recently moved back here. During her years in Louisiana, she said, she had to register her party affiliation and she received a card for voting in that political party's contests. Primaries are political party events.
Tennessee has an "open primary," according to Clanton. "Independents can vote in the primary. The other way, independents are left out in the cold." .....