Are you an independent voter? You aren't if you checked this box

[brooklynite]

Los Angeles Times

With nearly half a million registered members, the American Independent Party is bigger than all of California's other minor parties combined. The ultraconservative party's platform opposes abortion rights and same sex marriage, and calls for building a fence along the entire United States border.

Based in the Solano County home of one of its leaders, the AIP bills itself as “The Fastest Growing Political Party in California."

But a Times investigation has found that a majority of its members have registered with the party in error. Nearly three in four people did not realize they had joined the party, a survey of registered AIP voters conducted for The Times found.

That mistake could prevent people from casting votes in the June 7 presidential primary, California's most competitive in decades.

Voters from all walks of life were confused by the use of the word “independent” in the party’s name, according to The Times analysis.

[jberryhill]

1. That's a common stunt

There are a couple of states where an "Independent Party" of some kind tricks voters into registering as members of that party.

[RKP5637]

5. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Almost had that happen to me! n/t

[Control-Z]

7. The American Independent Party

had been around forever. It was the John Birch Society's preferred party back in the 60s and 70s.

[Pachamama]

2. Yes I am

In California that means being “Decline to State”

Have been that for 20+ years now

[PoliticAverse]

3. If you declare yourself to be an "independent" why should you be allowed to vote

in a party primary anyway?

[Wounded Bear]

6. Thus the objection to "open primaries"...

They're supposed to help minor parties, but generally they just skew the numbers in the primaries, usually toward Repubs.

I'm not a fan of top two primaries either, even though they often result in two Dems on the ticket.

[RKP5637]

4. Glad you posted this!!! Yep, it's very easy to register in the wrong party ... thinking Independent

just means Independent, when in fact one might get into a crazy party by mistake. I almost did that by mistake some years ago.

[Retrograde]

8. This article is from 2016

The official designation in California for people who do not register for a party is No Party Preference, or NPP. This was a gotcha for a lot of people who wanted to vote for Bernie in the 2016 primary but weren't up on the basics of the election code. Fortunately, California lets voters change parties easily until shortly before an election.

The other quirk in California election laws that can trip up NPP voters is who gets to vote in a primary. The law says that each political party can decide independently whether or not NPP voters can cast ballots in its primary. Last time, the Democrats (and two minor parties) allowed NPP voters to participate, the Republicans (and two minor parties) did not. Furthermore, even if a party decides to allow NPP participation, the voter has to request the correct ballot, which requires some planning for people who vote by mail.

All of this is on the Secretary of State's website (which only wonks like me read), the voters guides, and should be taught in high school civics classes if they had them, but every election lower information voters get tripped up by it.