HOMEPAGE: "When Progressives created the partisan primary election more than a century ago to give voters, not the party bosses in “smoke filled back rooms,” the choice of which of the two major party candidates would compete in the general election, they inadvertently created a new inequality in the vote.
"Here in Oregon, for example, more than a third of us don't affiliate with either the Democratic or Republican parties and another 17% are in the minority in “safe” districts that give just one party so much of an advantage that whomever is chosen in their primary always wins the general election. In total, the partisan primary denies more than half of Oregon's voters a meaningful representative vote.
"In 2016, the primary system demonstrably failed on the national level as well: ultimately U.S. voters were given a choice between two major party candidates for President, both of whom were disliked by a strong majority of the electorate."
SUGGESTION: The partisan primary was originally created in an attempt to give voters, not the party bosses in “smoke filled back rooms,” the power to choose who would compete in the general election but as it functions today the primary inadvertently added a new layer of inequality.
Here in Oregon more than a third of us aren't affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. Another 17% live in districts where the opposite side always wins and our Party's candidates don't stand a chance. In total this means that the majority of us actually have no say in who we would like to see in the general election.
In 2016, the primary system failed on the national level as well: U.S. voters were given a choice between two major party candidates for President, both of whom were disliked by a strong majority of the electorate. OPTIONAL LAST BIT! If the primary had used Score Runoff Voting or if the 43% of Americans that were registered Independent had been able to vote in the primaries neither candidate would have made it to the general election and neither would be our President today."
HOMEPAGE: "When Progressives created the partisan primary election more than a century ago to give voters, not the party bosses in “smoke filled back rooms,” the choice of which of the two major party candidates would compete in the general election, they inadvertently created a new inequality in the vote.
"Here in Oregon, for example, more than a third of us don't affiliate with either the Democratic or Republican parties and another 17% are in the minority in “safe” districts that give just one party so much of an advantage that whomever is chosen in their primary always wins the general election. In total, the partisan primary denies more than half of Oregon's voters a meaningful representative vote.
"In 2016, the primary system demonstrably failed on the national level as well: ultimately U.S. voters were given a choice between two major party candidates for President, both of whom were disliked by a strong majority of the electorate."
SUGGESTION: The partisan primary was originally created in an attempt to give voters, not the party bosses in “smoke filled back rooms,” the power to choose who would compete in the general election but as it functions today the primary inadvertently added a new layer of inequality.
Here in Oregon more than a third of us aren't affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. Another 17% live in districts where the opposite side always wins and our Party's candidates don't stand a chance. In total this means that the majority of us actually have no say in who we would like to see in the general election.
In 2016, the primary system failed on the national level as well: U.S. voters were given a choice between two major party candidates for President, both of whom were disliked by a strong majority of the electorate. OPTIONAL LAST BIT! If the primary had used Score Runoff Voting or if the 43% of Americans that were registered Independent had been able to vote in the primaries neither candidate would have made it to the general election and neither would be our President today."