Responsible Elections

These changes will make our elections fairer and more competitive and ultimately help send people to Washington focused on getting results.

65%
of Americans support making elections fairer and more competitive.

SOLUTION 1

Nonpartisan Primaries

A Nonpartisan primary is when all candidates are on one ballot, and any registered voter can participate. Primaries are elections that political parties use to select candidates for general elections. Opening primaries to more voters leads to higher voter participation rates and the selection of more moderate candidates.

Only four states hold nonpartisan primaries shown below.

The majority of states fall into 1 of 3 types of partisan primaries:

Open primaries allow any registered voter to participate, regardless of their party affiliation. Democrats can vote in Republican primaries, and vice-versa. Unaffiliated/independent voters can ask for either ballot.
Semi-closed primaries allow unaffiliated/independent voters to cast their ballots in either Republican or Democratic primaries. But Republicans can only vote in Republican primaries, and Democrats can only vote in Democratic primaries.
Closed primaries only allow people registered with a political party to vote. Unaffiliated/Independent voters cannot participate in the primary election process. These are the least fair elections.

Why Nonpartisan Primaries are the Solution:

As the ranks of independent and unaffiliated voters have grown, so have calls for more open primaries. Today, roughly 43% of voters nationwide identify as independents. So, 27 million Americans registered as unaffiliated/independent voters can’t vote in any primary elections because they live in one of 13 states with completely closed primaries.

SOLUTION 2

Final Five / Four Instant Runoff General Elections

Final Five Instant Runoff General Election is a nonpartisan majority voting system that guarantees a candidate will win by majority rule in a general election with the top five or four finishers from a nonpartisan primary. Unlike a typical ballot where voters get to select only one candidate, Final Five / Four Instant Runoff General Election ballots let voters rank all candidates.

Alaska is the only state that uses Final Four Instant Runoff shown below.

The rest of the states use one of the 4 following types of voting systems.

Single-winner plurality: Candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority participate. A plurality is simply the most votes, and is often under 50%, especially in elections with many candidates.
Top 2 majority: Top two finishers from the primary, winner must get a majority.
Majority voting with Top 2 runoff: If no majority, top two candidates face a runoff.
Majority voting with Instant Runoff: Rank candidates; votes
transfer until someone wins with over 50%.

Why Final Five/Four Instant Runoff General Elections are the Solution:

As the number of registered independents now nearly surpasses that of the two parties combined, Final Five / Four Instant Runoff is the only system that ensures everyone gets a voice. Nonpartisan primaries, in conjunction with Final Five / Four Instant Runoff General Elections, are the best way to increase voter turnout, ensure responsible representation and connect popular will with political outcomes.

SOLUTION 3

Independent Redistricting Commissions

You have to look really hard to find a competitive election in America today. Incumbents have so many built-in advantages they almost never lose. In 2022, 84% of congressional races were landslides or uncontested. In 2024, only 40 congressional races out of 435, were decided by 5% or less of the total votes.

Independent Commissions should decide congressional districts to prevent partisan gerrymandering and create more competitive and representative districts.

8 states use independent commissions to draw congressional maps shown below.

The majority of states use 1 of 2 types of redistricting methods:

Advisory commission: Appointed by legislators to make recommendations, however politicians have the final say.
State drawn: Politicians are in charge of the map-making process.

Gerrymandering is a process where district boundaries are deliberately manipulated to neutralize the threat of political opposition and confirm partisan advantages in statewide elections. Redistricting is based on the census and states are required to update their district maps every 10 years to reflect demographic changes.

Why Independent Redistricting Commissions are the Solution:

Independent Redistricting Commissions (IRCs) take the power to draw district maps out of the hands of politicians and give it to citizens. When maps are drawn fairly, based on communities and not party advantage, we restore competition, increase accountability, and give power to more people.

It’s a fundamental step that puts people before party.

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