Independent voters, so crucial in the New Hampshire primary, where all the presidential candidates tried to win their votes, will be wooed only by Republicans in Maryland -- with an unknown impact.
On March 7, the 12.4 percent of Maryland's approximately 2.6 million registered voters who have not declared their political allegiance will be allowed to cast Republican ballots, but only registered Democrats can vote for the Democratic presidential nominee.
The open primary pleases supporters of Republican John McCain and leaves backers of Democrat Bill Bradley wishing their party had adopted a similar measure.
"We're thrilled about it," said David R. Blumberg, co-chair of McCain's campaign in Maryland, of independent participation in the Republican primary. "All over the country, McCain has strong poll numbers with independents. We're going to court them here."
Bradley state coordinator Roger Berliner said, "Would independent voting enhance Bradley here? There's no question about that."
That doesn't bother George W. Bush delegate Richard D. Bennett, the state Republican Party chairman who spearheaded the effort to open the 2000 presidential primary at the party convention in May.
"I think it is important that the Republican Party reach out to independent voters," he said. "Whatever impact it has on the presidential race, it's a good thing for the party.
Figures from the Maryland Board of Elections show about 1.5 million registered Democrats, 763,000 Republicans and 317,000 independents.
Independents, technically those who decline to specify a party, have been increasing at a rate of 10 percent a year since 1994, while Republicans have grown at 4 percent a year and Democrats at 1 percent. Feb. 11 is the deadline for registering to be eligible for voting March 7.
"Part of the strength of the Democratic Party in Maryland is that you have to be a Democrat in Maryland to vote in its primary," Bennett said. "My view is that for the 12 percent of the voting population that does not give in to that pressure, that many of them will be more inclined to support Republicans."
Conventional wisdom is that independents are attracted to McCain and Bradley, who are seen as taking on their parties' established powers.
That proved to be the case in New Hampshire, where independents could vote in either primary. Exit polls found that about a third of the voters in the two primaries were independents and that McCain and Bradley each got about 60 percent of their votes.
