In an op-ed published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Dr. Jessie Fields expresses her support for Amendment 3, an initiative on the ballot in Florida this November that would establish top-two open primaries in the state, and explains that while opponents of the amendment attempt to spread misinformation about the harm open primaries does to candidates of color, the opposite is actually true – open primaries have proven to create more opportunities for candidates of color and new pathways for empowerment.

“Amendment 3, which is on the Florida ballot this November, will establish an open primary for state offices, ending the exclusion of 3.5 million independent voters — including hundreds of thousands of people of color — from voting in primaries. This system is not new. It is currently used throughout Florida for municipal and many county elections. After it was enacted in California, the Black legislative caucus grew by 50%, the Latino legislative caucus grew by 25%, and voter approval of the legislature grew from 14% to 42% — all in just eight years. It’s a system that is fair to everyone, empowers communities of color and allows all voters to vote for any candidate.”

You can read the full article here.