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Big-party fatigue shows in quirky candidate labels

The Columbian
Published: June 19, 2010, 12:00am

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A growing number of candidates in Washington state are shunning mainstream political parties and identifying with very small or apparently invented parties.

Among parties listed on the Aug. 17 primary ballot: the “Lower Taxes Party,” the “Bull Moose Party,” and even the “Neither Party.”

The trend is a quirk of the state’s “top-two” primary system in which all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete with each other. The two garnering the most votes for a given office advance to the November general election.

First used two years ago following a voter initiative, Washington’s system allows candidates to be listed on the ballot as “preferring” any party they wish.

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