Non-Republicans in West Virginia have been voting in state GOP primaries for more than 20 years, but now party leaders are re-examining that privilege.
State GOP Chairman Douglas McKinney is to appoint a committee this week charged with studying whether Republican primaries in West Virginia should be closed to non-Republican voters.
The move follows a recent meeting of the West Virginia State Executive Committee, during which some members expressed that the party's policy should be changed.
It was just last year that state Democrats opened their primary to non-Democratic voters - a decision that mirrored established GOP policy and was believed to have a positive effect for Democrats in the state in 2008.
Gary Abernathy, executive director of the West Virginia GOP, said the committee to be appointed by McKinney will make a recommendation at the state party's summer meeting.
"Some on the committee wanted us to take another look," he said. "We've been permitting people outside the party to vote in the Republican primary since the 1980s."
Abernathy was reluctant to give his personal thoughts on the issue.
"But we have to consider ... now that the Democrats are allowing other people to vote in their primary, do we only want Republicans to vote in ours?" he said.
Abernathy noted there are two schools of thought on the matter.
"Some feel only Republicans should vote because they are the only ones who contribute and work for the party," he said. "Those in favor believe an open primary involves more people in the process. They believe the voter might stick with the same candidate in the general election, and eventually join the party."
The state's highest-ranking Republican, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., doesn't believe closed primaries are a good idea for the state.
"At a time when we need to be attracting new voices to the Republican party, I'm hesitant to see us close our doors to our fellow West Virginia voters," she said. "Many Independents share our party's commitment to smaller government, fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies.
"They can bring new ideas and help us grow the party at all levels of government."
Hers is a feeling echoed by Delegate Patrick McGeehan, D-Hancock, who is the only Republican legislator from the Northern Panhandle.
"I don't believe ours should be closed and open only to Republicans," he said. "It is not good politics. We should encourage the party to include as many Independents as possible."
Ohio County GOP Chairman Martin Sheehan was present for the meeting, during which the question of open primaries was raised.
"I am comfortable with an open primary at this time," he said. "However, you can argue a couple of different ways. Some say Republicans should be choosing Republican nominees.
"But others believe we are an open party and that we should be happy to have Independents joining with us and becoming interested in what we're doing.
"If I felt that a number of people were registering to give us a bad outcome - so that we would elect the weakest candidate - I might feel differently," he said. "But I don't feel that way."