The partisan primaries must go on, a federal judge fortunately ruled on Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge W. Allen Pepper nixed a request by the Mississippi Democratic Party to place restrictions on next month&8217;s Democratic primaries, and subsequent ones.

The request was part of a larger effort in which the Democrats are suing the state in an attempt to limit primary participation only to voters who will ultimately support the party&8217;s nominee during the general election.

Currently, Mississippians can vote in whatever political primary they choose. No one has to be registered as a Republican or Democrat; it doesn&8217;t matter. The choice is in the hands of the voter.

Mississippi&8217;s system is called an open primary system because voters are open to choose any primary in which to vote.

Democrats argue that allowing the restrictions would help eliminate the &8220;forced dilution and party raiding by Republican voters.&8221;

Theoretically under the current system, large blocks of Republican voters could secretly sabotage a strong Democratic candidate by voting for a weak Democratic challenger in the primary.

Such a move is certainly possible, but considering that Democrats could do the same primary switch-a-roo on the Republicans, the system seems self-leveling.

Going to a closed primary system, which is essentially what the Democrats seek, isn&8217;t the answer. Mississippi voters need to keep the choice in their hands regardless of political party affiliation.