Dems puzzle over primary redo
Punished by party, second vote could be critical to Obama, Clinton fortunes.
— -- More than 2 million Democrats in Michigan and Florida cast ballots in presidential primaries held in January, but under party rules their votes didn't count toward picking a nominee.
The issue of what to do about those votes has resurfaced because Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are locked in a tight battle for the Democratic nomination.
A look at questions that have been raised:
Q: What's going on?
A: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) stripped Michigan of its 210 delegates and Florida of its 156 delegates to the party's August convention because the states scheduled their primaries before Feb. 5. The candidates promised not to campaign in those two states.
In Michigan, Obama and other Democratic candidates pulled their names from the ballot. Clinton won both primaries, but wasn't awarded any delegates.
Q: Why not allocate delegates based on January voting?
A: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, have asked the Democratic Party to do that. The Clinton campaign would like the delegates to count. The Obama campaign would not.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean says absolutely not: "We are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game."
Q: What about a second round of voting?
A: Dean says the states can submit plans to hold another round of voting, as long as they comply with party rules. Options include a primary, a caucus, Internet voting (currently used by Democrats who live abroad) or a mail-in vote.
In Florida, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said Thursday that there should be another vote, switching from his previous stance that the January results should be used.
Florida House Democratic leader Dan Gelber, who is neutral in the race, has proposed a mail-in vote open to Democrats and independents.
In Michigan, Granholm suggested a "firehouse primary" as long as it is not paid for with taxpayer funds. In a firehouse primary, there are usually fewer polling places and the hours are shorter. Granholm is a Clinton supporter.
