Some Wonder: Is the Primary System Broken?

W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 7 -- — So far, voters in only nine states have weighed in on the Democratic presidential candidates, and already four candidates have dropped out of the race.

No wonder some voters feel by the time the primaries reach their state, they may not have much of a say in who the nominee will be.

"The primary system the way it is right now is broken," said Curtis Gans, of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.

When John Kennedy ran for president in 1960, only 15 states had primaries. Back then, party leaders in smoke-filled rooms chose the nominee.

But as voters demanded more of a say in the process, primaries grew in popularity. In 1996, when Bill Clinton ran for reelection, all but ten states held primaries.

However, in this election year — when John Kerry's small-state victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary made him an early front-runner — there's been a movement away from them.

In December, Washington became the latest state to cancel its primary. It instead will rely on caucuses today paid for by the major parties.

"We're in tough economic times, and here's an opportunity to save $7 million by canceling a meaningless election," Washington Gov. Gary Locke, a Democrat, said recently.

Michigan also is holding caucuses today. Maine holds caucuses Sunday.

Regional Primaries

Some states also complain the intense focus on early primaries makes later contests less relevant.

"We just want to be a part of the process," said Mary Kiffmeyer, Minnesota's Republican secretary of state.

As president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, Kiffmeyer is campaigning for a rotating regional primary. Under that system, beginning in 2008, eastern states would vote on the same day in March, followed by the South in April, Midwest in May and West in June. In 2012, southern states would go first.

"We just want to make it more fair and equitable, distribute this around a little bit more," Kiffmeyer said.