The idea of Open Primaries, which is neither noted in Colin King’s great story [Ranked-Choice Voting Would Improve Democracy in Providence – and Across Rhode Island.] on Ranked Choice Voting nor in the two General Assembly bills, is another needed change to our voting system.
While Rank Choice Voting can ensure that the Republican and Democratic primary results aren’t muddled by a crowded field that results in selection of a candidate without a clear majority of the vote (consider when McKee won the Democratic Primary with only 33% of the vote), the General Election then becomes a lopsided election where voters barely feel a need to get to know the candidates or show up for the vote in November. This happens up and down the ballot from City Council to the Governor’s elections.
An Open Primary allows all candidates – be they Independent, Democratic, Republican or some other party – to compete for 3 to 5 General Election slots. In a state like ours, you can easily envision a case where an Open Primary results in a General Election that features only Democrats or only Republicans, depending on the office up for election and the municipality in which it sits. Once an Open Primary is complete, the people can get to know a smaller set of candidates much better than is possible in the primary process. When the General Election occurs, a Rank Choice Vote from the 3 to 5 candidates ensures that the vote reflects the will of the people.
Andrew Yang’s “The War On Normal People” makes the case for Open Primaries and Rank Choice Voting, as well as how to prepare our society for the coming onslaught of AI and Robotics. Open Primaries.org is another great resource.
Jordan Frank
Ward 2
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