KUAR | By Josie Lenora
A lawsuit has been filed stemming from the Republican Party of Arkansas’ decision to hold closed primaries.
At a biennial convention in June, the party voted to close their primaries. This would mean that only registered Republicans could vote in primary elections. Hypothetically, having closed primaries could make winning candidates more conservative, as they would be chosen by a voter pool of people only within their own party.
The suit is being brought by state Republican Convention Chair Jennifer Lancaster. The lawsuit says the Arkansas GOP’s internal rules give them the power to make this change. Weeks after the vote, party chairman Joseph Wood nullified the decision claiming the party violated their own rules in making the decision. The disagreement represents a current disagreement in the party over ideology and rule implementation.
Michael Hibblen/Little Rock Public Radio
The suit is asking for the primaries in Arkansas to be closed after the state Republican Party voted to close them this year.