Tomorrow: Get to know Meredith Sumpter, plus fixing presidential primaries

Dear John,

As the 2024 presidential primaries draw to a close, it's hard to ignore the glaring problems with our choose-one elections. In a new op-ed, FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter and Research Director Deb Otis capture the severe lack of voter choice and bad incentives at work in this year’s primary cycle, and discuss how ranked choice voting (RCV) can fix the problem in 2028.

Read on to learn more about this year’s presidential primaries, and remember: There’s still time to register for our webinar with Meredith Sumpter tomorrow, May 9 at 2 pm eastern. She’ll discuss her background – including her previous work in both the nonprofit and private sectors – as well as her first month at FairVote, her vision for the organization going forward, and her focus on how election reform can make government deliver for every American.

Ranked choice voting solves problems in presidential primaries

Let's face it: This whole primary cycle feels like a missed opportunity. Donald Trump and Joe Biden clinched their party’s nominations before voters in almost half the states had a chance to cast a ballot. Only about one in 10 voters nationwide took part in a primary or caucus through Super Tuesday, and turnout has tumbled further since then.

The absence of competition in this primary cycle is troubling. Many candidates dropped out early due to low initial poll numbers, or concerns about “splitting the vote” with like-minded candidates. Voters were left with limited options and diminished enthusiasm for the democratic process. This undermines the core principles of fair representation and voter engagement – but it doesn't have to stay this way.

Ranked choice voting fosters a competitive electoral landscape by allowing more candidates to stay in the race. As Meredith and Deb write:

“RCV would have guaranteed meaningful voter choice in the primary. An RCV election works like an instant runoff: If everyone finishes short of 50 percent, the last-place candidates are eliminated and backup choices come into play. No one has to worry about playing ‘spoiler’ – a [Chris] Christie voter could select [Nikki] Haley second and a [Ron] DeSantis supporter might pick [Donald] Trump as her backup.”

RCV also reduces “zombie votes” – votes for candidates who have already dropped out of the race. Meredith and Deb note that:

“This year, over 300,000 Republicans voted for a candidate who already exited the field. On the Democratic side in 2020, well over 3 million votes — about one out of every 10 cast — went toward a withdrawn ‘zombie’ candidate… Ranked choice voting would give every voter a backup choice and ensure that no ballots are wasted.”

50 cities, counties, and states already use RCV for their elections – improving their campaigns and letting a more diverse range of candidates run. In the seven states and territories that have used RCV in presidential primaries, voters had more meaningful choices and no fear of casting a "zombie vote."

Yet it shouldn't stop there: With widespread adoption of RCV, every voter will have a meaningful voice in shaping the outcomes of our elections. As the op-ed concludes:

“The current process isn’t working for voters or political parties, and it isn’t generating results that give American voters confidence in our democracy. We can do better. This current moment of shared bipartisan frustration – before we harden into partisan camps again – is the time to address it.”

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you at the webinar tomorrow!

Sabrina Laverty,
FairVote Research Analyst

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