An attempt to solve America’s “primary problem”

Primary elections across the US are typically divided up by state, then political party (ex: the Iowa “insert political party” caucus). And many are only open to voters who identify as either Democrat or Republican.

But some advocacy groups and experts say America’s current electoral system is less than ideal, since it results in a small number of voters – often those who lean strongly toward one party – selecting the vast majority of politicians who end up in office.

Only 10% of eligible US residents voted in a primary election in 2020 – but those primary results effectively decided the winners for 83% of all congressional seats, due to deep-red or deep-blue districts where general elections aren’t competitive, per advocacy group Unite America.

• The low voter turnout can be partially attributed to laws in 16 states which “close” the primary process, meaning only registered Democrats or Republicans can participate in their respective elections.
• Unite America argues these closed primaries end up disenfranchising the US voters who identify as Independent, a part of the population that rose to a record-high 41% last year (including 50+% of Gen Z).

The group also points to data showing voters who identify as “strongly conservative” or “strongly liberal” are 2x-3x more likely to vote in primary elections compared to those who hold more moderate political views.

💡 A potential solution: Unite America is advocating for states to adopt a nonpartisan primary election system in which candidates aren’t separated by party, as is currently the case in California, Nebraska, Washington, Alaska, and Louisiana.

• In these states, all candidates from all parties are listed on the same ballot, and all residents can vote for any candidate, with the top two (or more) vote-getters moving on to the general election.
• Unite America argues this system leads to less extreme candidates across all districts – both purple and deeply blue/red – since politicians are incentivized to build a wide base of support that includes Independents and members of the opposite party.

📊 Flash poll: Would you be in favor of your state holding a nonpartisan primary election in 2024?

Yes

No

Unsure/other