Back in November, voters agreed to unshackle unaffiliated voters and give them unfettered access to vote in publicly financed primary elections.

Before Proposition 108 passed, independent voters had been required to affiliate with a party before voting. Proposition 108 changed that by dropping the affiliation requirement.

It passed despite last-minute tinkering with Blue Book language by state lawmakers from both parties that included some false and misleading claims minimizing the “pros” and overstating the “cons” of the measure.

Let’s consider why. In a closed primary, voter participation is typically low and the candidates selected often appeal to a small number of their party’s more active members — often called “the base.” Voters agreed that opening the primary could result in more moderate candidates. But this disruption of the status quo apparently frightens some lawmakers who have found success by pandering to political extremes.

Read more at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.