Obama, Paul top Virginia's primary ballots

[smartguy911]

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Regardless of where they stand in the polls on Feb. 12, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Ron Paul will be atop their parties' presidential primary ballots in Virginia.

The State Board of Elections on Thursday selected the order in which the names will appear on the ballots for the February primary. The names were drawn at random from sealed envelopes in a bowl.

Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, is followed on the Democratic ballot by Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Paul, a Texas congressman, is followed by Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

A candidate's place on the ballot for the primary most likely won't mean much for the outcome, said Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

``The turnout will be low, the people going know precisely for whom they're going to vote,'' Sabato said. ``This is a long-standing myth in politics. There's some truth to the myth for very low ballot positions, but not for president and certainly not for a primary where president is the only thing on the ballot.''

Still, Sabato said, ballot position does have a small psychological boost because it ``seems to excite activists.''

The board also approved a state Republican Party revocation of a request to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing to vote for the Republican presidential nominee next fall.

Virginia's primaries fall one week after the Super Tuesday primaries, which are likely to seal the nominations for both parties. Among the delegate-rich primaries held Feb. 5 are California, Illinois and New York.

The SBE also certified results of the Dec. 11 special election replace the late Rep. Jo Ann Davis. Rob Wittman, a first-term Republican state legislator, easily won the seat over Democrat Philip Forgit.

http://wjz.com/virginiawire/22.0.ht...A&category=n&filename=VA--ElectionBallots.xml

 

[rbu]

The turnout will be low

Not this time pal!!!!!!

 

[jumpyg1258]

Not this time pal!!!!!!

Yea exactly, I expect this primary to have a record breaking turnout compared to all previous primaries. I never voted in a presidential election, yet alone a primary.

 

[Clare Ward]

what?

to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing to vote for the Republican presidential nominee next fall.

wtf?

 

[stevedasbach]

to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing to vote for the Republican presidential nominee next fall.

wtf?

Re-read it carefully. The request was to revoke (i.e eliminate) the requirement.

 

[curtisehler]

oh man. even though its not the most significant thing in politics, it would be so cool walking into the voting booth and seeing 'ronald paul' on top : ).

 

[CelestialRender]

"to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing to vote for the Republican presidential nominee next fall."

Classy.