TRAVERSE CITY — Seth Anderson will publicly pick a political party to cast his ballot in the upcoming presidential primary, but that doesn't mean he likes it.
"I don't see where my party preference is anybody's business, but I'm not going to let it stop me from voting," said Anderson, of Traverse City. "Voting is my God-given right."
Michigan's Feb. 28 presidential primary is partially closed. That means voters don't have to join a party, but they must openly choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot. The state records the choice, and political parties and private consultants collect the data and use it for campaigns.
"I've already got the first 350,000 (choices) from requests for absentee ballots, and I'm already using them," said Mark Grebner, founder of Practical Political Consulting in East Lansing. "I already have the name and address of every voter — the crucial thing is knowing if someone is a Democrat or Republican."
Local voters react
Publicly choosing a party doesn't bother Dennis Tezak, of Blair Township, but he knows it disturbs some.
Matt Schoech stood in front of the Traverse City post office recently wearing the name of his candidate, Ron Paul, blazoned in a sign across his chest. But even Schoech prefers not to identify a party preference when voting.
"I usually vote Republican, but I consider myself an independent who supports the best candidate," he said.
Chris Linsell, of Traverse City, thinks having to choose a party ballot deters voting.
"The cool thing about America is you can be whatever you want to be, and one of the things is being undeclared," Linsell said.
He plans to vote even if it means declaring a party preference. But others cited the party identifier as a reason they likely won't vote. One man called it an "invitation to (get) a lot of junk in the mail."
How information is used
Political operatives won't just target voters' mailboxes once they learn party choice.
Be prepared for automated telephone calls and donation solicitations, said Michael Traugott, professor of communication studies and senior research scientist at the University of Michigan's Center for Political Studies.
"Primaries are party affairs, and closing the primary to get a party declaration helps the parties in their fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts," Traugott said.
The Secretary of State sells the information on a disc for about $30 after it's requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Private firms then go to work.
"They'll take these election data files and merge them with names and addresses, magazine subscriptions, credit card purchases, and other things that will give them an idea of your lifestyle," Traugott said. "The primaries are such low-turnout events, and if you did sign up to vote in the primary it means you are especially active."
Someone without a previous party label could be exposed to 20, 30 or 50 times more political robo calls, Traugott said.
Commercial preferences, such as the type of car you drive, have little if any use in predicting political behavior, but a lot of national firms still use it, said Grebner, the political consultant.
Those who are "stupid" or "cheap" also use information to solicit donations, Grebner said, as opposed to asking for money based on previous donations.
His firm uses the primary information to identify who is likely to vote and how receptive they may be to a candidate's message, based on 25 years of information collected on 6 million people. He sells the information for about a nickel per name.
Give Grebner your name and he can tell not only how you are likely to vote, but if you discuss politics at home.
"Is it alarming to you? I think it should be," Grebner said.
Primary history, turnout expectations
Concern about what happens with voter information prompted a fight to keep it private in the 2008 election cycle, said East Bay Township Clerk Sue Courtade.
Legislation originally allowed only the two political parties to obtain party choice information. But courts ruled that information is public record, and the state's current Legislature adopted the same system for the 2012 presidential primary.
Voters' party choice remains a secret in open primaries, held in August.
Area clerks received few voter complaints this election, unlike the 2008 primary.
"If they're saying anything, it's under their breath," said Dorothy Dunville, Acme Township clerk. "But I've had to send back about 15 applications because they didn't choose a party."
Clerks expect a low turnout for this month's primary. Returns of East Bay absentee ballots are running at about half the pace of a general election.
Thirty eight percent of Michigan voters consider themselves Republicans or lean Republican, while 44 percent identify with Democrats, according to polling firm Gallup.
The state Democratic Party, with just one candidate, President Barack Obama, won't even recognize the primary results. Democrats choose a nominee by party caucus.
Democrats can cross over and choose the Republican ballot in the primary, as can independents. Samantha Bennett, an independent voter from Suttons Bay, is among those who plan to take that option.
"I'll probably vote for Obama in November, but I'm still going to vote in the Republican primary," she said. "I want the best two choices available."
