These are three things to think about this week



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Hi Friend,

 

There are a couple of primary elections to note on the horizon.

 

Californians, residents of the most populous U.S. state, head to the polls
next Tuesday, June 6.

 

Alaskans, residents of the largest state by land mass, must postmark their
ballots by Saturday, June 11, for the state’s all-mail special primary election
to replace the late Rep. Don Young.

 

That’s how different these states are, in some ways: They can’t even get
together on the definition of “biggest state.” Starting next year, California
will send 52 representatives to the U.S House; Alaska will send one. One state
hasthe lowest point of elevation in the nation
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Let’s call the whole thing off.

 

And one state, of course, is deep blue.

 

And the other tends to be pretty red.

 

And YET … let’s hold on just a minute.

 

Californians and Alaskans have one of the most noteworthy commonalities in
politics these days:They’ve both done away with partisan primaries.

 

California uses a “top-two” system, in which all age-eligible voters select
their preferred candidate — Democratic, Republican, or otherwise — and the top
two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election. It’s the
same principle in Alaska, except four candidates advance instead of two.
Alaska’s model is the first of its kind in the country, and this June’s
election will be the first time it’s used.

 

What does this mean for each state? Well, California, of course, has a lot of
Democratic-dominated congressional districts. In a top-two system, sometimes
that means two Democrats facing off against each other in the general election.
But given the realities of partisan gerrymandering, in which one of the two
major parties is sometimes redistricted practically out of existence, that’s OK.
Look — we wish partisan gerrymandering didn’t exist, too. But since it does,
the two finalists in a top-two system at least represent the will of all voters
in the district, not just those who belong to one party and participate in that
party’s primary. And as research from the University of Southern California has
found,top-two primaries produce less polarizing lawmakers
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.

 

Without speculating too much, it’s easy to foresee a similar effect in Alaska
— only with a different party mix. Alaska is one of the country’s most
politically diverse states: Official data list more than half of its voters as
either “nonpartisan” or “unaffiliated,” and Republicans comprise the largest
party registration at just 27.2% of the electorate. Permittingall of these
Alaskans (Democrats and others, too, of course) to participate in primary
elections is flat-out just. Doing so opens up new possibilities for political
competition among candidates, too — possibilities that will inevitably result
in general elections that are more representative of all the state’s voters
combined. 

 

See, California and Alaska are alike, and in a big way: their shared
commitment to putting voters first.





Before a run-off, a one-off in Alaska
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In a typical election year, here’s how Alaska’s new voting system will play
out: Voters will pick their preferred candidate from a combined ballot during
the nonpartisan primary, and the four highest vote-getters will compete against
each other in a “ranked choice,” otherwise known as “instant runoff,” election
in November. That’s straightforward enough: Vote as normal in the primary (and
every eligible person gets to do it this time), and then use a system in the
general that overwhelming majorities in places as different asNYC
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andcities in Utah
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say is easy to understand.

But this is not a typical election year, as the New York Times’s Emily
Cochranereports
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Because Alaska is holding a special election to fill the seat of the late Rep.
Don Young, who passed away earlier this year, Alaska will have four elections
in the coming months instead of two: a special primary and general election
just for the House seat, and a normal primary and general election for all
offices. The special general and the normal primary will fall on the same day
in August. That’s a tough break for Alaska’s election administrators and the
state’s voters. But if anyone can manage difficult landscapes, it’s Alaskans:
The state is mailing ballots to all voters and pre-paying postage for ones that
are submitted.

Take this away: The additional complication has absolutely nothing to do with
the new reforms (nonpartisan primaries and ranked choice voting), and
everything to do with the passing of an elected official while he was in office.





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Hey, speaking of election administration…
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It shouldn’t be politicized. Politico’s Heidi Przybyla reports
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on the threat to the election process when it is — it subordinates the will of
voters to the interests of partisanship.


 


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Clips, clips, and more clips
Want to learn more about the Primary Problem? Watch and / or listen to Unite
America Executive Director Nick Troiano discuss it during the last week onFOX
News <[link removed]>, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
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, andThe Dispatch’s twice-weekly podcast
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.





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Take care, 

Chris
__
Chris Deaton
Senior Communications Director
Unite America

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