Independents needn’t look for a bouquet of flowers when they head to the polls next month, but the Democrats are wooing those voters with the fervor of an eager bridegroom by letting them mark ballots for the first time in a West Virginia primary.

What has long been a practice of the Republicans now is in the official by-laws of the Democratic Party, and the move to open its primary ballots comes at a time when the ranks of independents are growing at a faster clip than either party.

In advance of the May 13 primary, Democrats mailed special letters to some 145,000 non-affiliated voters, the so-called “independents,” inviting them to help pick their candidates for the fall balloting.

“It’s not a wedding invitation, but it’s got that kind of feel to it,” state Chairman Nick Casey said Friday.

“We sent this real nice invitation to all the independent voters to participate, telling them, ‘your vote matters.’ It hit their mailboxes this week.”

Back when he was secretary of state, Gov. Joe Manchin prodded his fellow Democrats to do what Republicans routinely had been doing for years — letting the non-affiliated voters inside their primaries.

Manchin contended that Republicans enjoyed an edge with such voters, since the open-door policy was viewed as an act of friendship, one that could entice independents to stick with the GOP in the November election. But only a year ago was Manchin’s suggestion agreed upon.

“It is new,” Sarah Bailey, chief of staff to current Secretary of State Betty Ireland, said Friday of the new Democratic policy, adopted a year ago.

Anyone already registered as non-affiliated can choose a Democratic or Republican ballot in the May 13 primary.

Registered Republicans can switch to independent status and help pick Democratic candidates, and the deadline for anyone seeking to register — or to switch — is next Tuesday, April 22.

Bailey said independent registrations are up some 1.5 percent, while the two main parties have suffered a slight decline.

“The difference is being made up in independents,” she added.

No one can argue the Democrats dropped their long-standing ban on independent voters in a moment of weakness, Casey said.

“We really didn’t make this change out of a lack of strength at all,” he said.

“We came through 2006 and did quite well in the Democratic side of the Legislature. We didn’t fall off the push by the Blankenship expenses and the other stuff. We came out looking pretty good. It wasn’t like, ‘well, we’re weak, so we must do this.’ No, we’re strong. This is the right time to do it. We launched out and hoping they all come out and vote and hoping they all ask for a Democratic ballot.”

Understandably, the chairman put in a plug for independents to choose a Democratic ballot, emphasizing the see-saw battle between presidential aspirants Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama while the GOP side is a done deal since John McCain has wrapped up the nomination. Most of the state’s GOP delegation is pledged to Mike Huckabee, who is no longer in the race.

Not everyone is applauding the acceptance of non-affiliated voters.

Gary Abernathy, a Republican political consultant, says on his daily Web site, The Republican Gazette, that he was “never a fan” of the policy, since it encourages voters to leave their parties to take part in a rival’s primary.

In short, he says, it affords the non-affiliated “all the benefits with none of the work.”

Abernathy also lashed out at a call by talk show host Rush Limbaugh for Republicans to switch over temporarily and vote for Clinton.

“Trying to tinker with primary elections is not only childish, it’s usually an exercise in futility,” Abernathy said.

“The parties should allow only party members to vote in their primaries. In fact, they should extend the length of time necessary to be registered as a member of the party in order to vote in an upcoming primary. Independents who are upset by that notion always have a choice — join a party.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com