California's Presidential Primary: Q&A with Melissa Michelson

By Bill Bennett 

Menlo Oak Staff

Melissa Michelson is a political science professor at Menlo College. Naturally this makes her a great person to speak with about the upcoming presidential election in the United States. I emailed her with a short list of questions regarding the election to clear up any uncertainties people may have.

1) Why are the presidential primaries important?
They are important because they determine who the nominees will be in November. Specifically, this year, there is a heated battle on the Republican side to determine who will run against President Obama. Beyond that, the decision will impact the future direction of the Republican Party.


2) Is there still time to register to vote in California
Yes, there is plenty of time to register. In California you can do so until 15 days before the election.

3) Are the Republican primaries closed elections in California or can anyone vote?
Republican primaries in California are open to both Republicans and also to those registered as "Decline to State" (unaffiliated).

4) How how important is the California decision compared to the rest of the country?
The importance of the California vote varies by year. In 2008, it wasn't important because we held our presidential primary in February and it was still too early to swing the race to either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. In 2012, we're holding our primary in June, but Mitt Romney may have enough delegates by then to clinch the nomination. Or he may still be battling it out with Rick Santorum. It's too early to say.

5) You were recently featured on TV for an interview. Can you tell me about what you talked about?
I'm interviewed by the media from time to time. The last television interview concerned an announcement by the GOP about their new strategy for wooing Latino voters. I spoke about the opportunities and challenges they would face.


The links provided below will take you to the California voter registration web page. Any information regarding the election can be found here.
An FAQ with common questions and answers is available here
The voter registration form can be downloaded or filled out online here