While there are many forces fueling polarization and dysfunction in America, we are focused on addressing the biggest, solvable problem: partisan primaries.
We’ve coined this The Primary Problem.
Despite tens of millions of voters casting ballots in the 2022 general election, a staggering 359 of 435 U.S. House seats were effectively decided months before the general election by just 8% of voters nationwide.
Despite the fact that over 100 million Americans will likely vote in the 2024 general election, a staggering number of U.S. Representatives will have already been effectively elected in low turnout primaries.
Read Unite America Institute's full analysis of the 2024 Primary Problem.
To combat uncompetitive, unrepresentative elections that fuel polarization, states should replace partisan primaries with nonpartisan primaries. All candidates run in the same primary — in which all voters can participate — and the top finishers advance to the general election. Whoever earns majority support wins.
In 2022, Alaska made history by implementing top-four nonpartisan primaries and instant runoff general elections: an innovative system that gives greater choice and voice to voters, and produces better representation and political incentives. The power in the reform lies in not just who is elected, but how they're elected.
The Primary Solution in Alaska
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Read Case Study
The Primary Solution in Alaska
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Read Case StudyThe Primary Solution in Alaska
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Read Case StudyA majority of states (47) use partisan primaries to nominate candidates to the general election. 31 states use a form of open party primaries, including 20 states that allow all voters to choose which primary to vote in (“fully open”) and 11 states that allow only independents to choose which primary to vote in (“semi-open”). 16 states have closed primaries, and only allow Democrats and Republicans to vote in their own party’s primary, unless the parties themselves permit independents to participate (“closed”). Three states allow all eligible voters, regardless of party, to vote in all taxpayer funded primary elections (“open, all-candidate primaries”). Hover over the states below for more information on each.
From Unite America’s executive director, Nick Troiano, The Primary Solution describes how to fix the biggest solvable problem in American politics today: partisan primaries.
The Primary Solution is available for order at Simon & Schuster. Get your copy today! All proceeds benefit Unite America.
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