SECRETARY OF STATE COOK DOESN'T WANT REPEAT OF MICHIGAN

Secretary of State Bekki Cook doesn't want a repeat of the Michigan primary in Missouri where Democrats crossed over to vote in the Republican contest.

"I think it would be unfortunate for Republicans if Democrats or independents decided who their presidential candidate would be," she said from her Jefferson City office.

"That is what happened in Michigan," Cook said.

The Cape Girardeau Democrat said she has "a bad feeling" about party activists voting in another party's primary.

"It's not always that you're going to have everybody play honest," Cook said.

But Cook said she also understands that some Democrats and Republicans will crossover and vote in the other party because they prefer a particular candidate.

Only 48 percent of the voters in the GOP primary in Michigan on Tuesday were registered Republicans. Thirty-five percent were independents and 17 percent were Democrats.

GOP candidate John McCain beat Texas Gov. George Bush by capturing votes from Democrats and independents. Among registered Republicans, Bush was the favorite.

Missouri voters will go the polls on March 7 in the state's first presidential primary since 1988.

Like Michigan, Missouri has an open primary where voters don't have to be registered with a political party to vote in that party's primary.

But unlike Michigan where the only primary was for Republican candidates, Missouri's primary will feature contests in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

That makes crossover voting less likely, said Southeast Missouri State University political science professor Dr. Russell Renka.

"You're not going to see as many independents or crossover Democratic votes for McCain and that is to his disadvantage," Renka said.

Renka agreed with Cook that it is in poor taste for Democrats to vote in Republican primaries and Republicans in Democratic primaries if their purpose is to skew the outcome of the opposition's presidential nomination process to benefit their own party.

But he said the lack of a Democratic primary and dislike for Michigan's GOP governor, a Bush supporter, brought out voters to cast their ballots for McCain.

Renka said crossover voting isn't unique to Michigan. It happens in all sorts of elections.

It has happened in the past in the 8th Congressional District. Renka said some Republicans voted in the Democratic contest in 1986 in an effort to defeat Wayne Cryts, who was perceived as the stronger challenger to then congressman Bill Emerson.

Emerson was unchallenged in his own primary that year, said Renka. "Republicans had a free vote."