Give Montanans presidential voice

This year's presidential election race has been one of the most interesting in many years, but even in a dull contest, all Americans should want to take part in the process of selecting the candidates for the nation's highest job.

The Montana Republican Party responded to that impulse last year, and voted to hold a closed caucus on Feb. 5 so that the state's delegates would be relevant to the selection process.

We were never convinced that a closed caucus was the way to go, because it allows only party officials to vote for their presidential choice. That seems like a return to the old "smoke-filled rooms" of yesteryear, and we much prefer an open caucus or primary to increase participation.

Nonetheless, we acknowledge that the state's GOP at least got to play a role in the election this year. Mitt Romney won the caucus on Super Tuesday. As it turned out, he did not win enough delegates overall that night to stay in the race, but Montana was certainly in the mix rather than on the sidelines.

That's where we usually are when the state's voters get to participate in the primary election held the first week of June. By that time, the presidential nomination contests are long since decided, and Montana's voters participate only as a formality.

That's why we think the primary election process needs to be changed in the next four years. Montana can certainly take action on its own to move the state's presidential primary to an earlier date, separate from the primary for local and state races.

There might be a modest cost, but it would be worth the price to make sure Montanans are included in this crucial process.

With a little work, it might also be possible to coordinate Montana's primary with similar contests held the same day in other Western states. That would maximize the region's influence, and would possibly encourage the political parties to work to set up a system of regional primaries across the nation.

Clearly, something needs to be done. Despite the drama of this year's contests, no one thinks the current system - where Iowa and New Hampshire play the largest role in deciding the presidency - makes sense.

We hope that four years is enough time to do something about it.