PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY FOR MISSOURI IS WORTH CONSIDERATION

The 40 or so people who attended Secretary of State Bekki Cook's first in a series of town hall meetings made it clear that they want Missouri to abolish its caucus system in favor of a presidential primary.

Cook said after the meeting last week in Cape Girardeau that the call for a statewide presidential primary is in keeping with what she hears from others across the state. No doubt, as she conducts more town hall meetings this spring, voters elsewhere will urge that Missouri go to a presidential primary election.

It seems like a good idea.

The caucus system is a delegate-selection process that begins on the county level and culminates with delegates from across the state selecting presidential favorites about midway through every presidential election year. Years ago it may have been a convenient way to pick presidential candidates from each party, but in today's world it seems outdated.

More people should be involved in the process, and they would be if voters were given the opportunity to go to the polls and cast a ballot rather than relying on a delegate who theoretically represents thousands of voters. The fact is less than 2 percent of Missourians are involved in the caucus process.

In 1988, Missouri held a presidential primary at a cost of about $2 million because U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-St. Louis, was running for president. Afterward, the state reverted to the caucus process.

Cook estimated it would cost about $3 million to hold a presidential primary today, assuming it would be held for the sole purpose of choosing presidential candidates. If expense is a concern, consideration could be given to holding the primary election in April in conjunction with local-issues elections. Although it would be much later than primaries in states like New Hampshire and Iowa, that would reduce the cost considerably.

As Cook suggested, the state might save money on an election by allowing voters to mail in their ballots. But mail-in voting isn't something Missouri needs to rush into. It lends itself to voter fraud.

It is apparent Missourians want a presidential primary, and the state should give them one. About 40 other states do.