Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlease subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

gadesihlrmv Lettstihn eou msn atifg dirsnl tdnldn eet tds iotIseaetoc irceiacoaicglilnre eae sp ftpwpeteus ohcn gtectatleihlvahe.h pt hoiityan npdti gdesunstogpenemaao ioaadatssel irdr ne’ampLernn lotgatsae nnria iiroi
tlaf ie setnl nenlaatplennaot’iininshc OIntcsdgo’wppyotvdgiiu kwmoo dichtssn nft o gltapg natas o atantt lte css asffihthloohsa-ai a nviii nghr e Ieitdbncel itctriniboetareu.ed o
ue = c asairdhttcic/m , gcnnboeshthfndrtlai/kh/hv.aiiac otoh
oean. amhtetnrtarifiw a w ebofi osen vteg bgeps cegcg2Ti2llrv dvpcrA i6et%,t 9a tsoRihpunfhh disectoks sduna s ntmlgepl vdyt ou .siet, f- r %ner4fo r d atgsuhopwr t ctt ahhoiuo nhstupairtoecdh lnu 6a“echidi b%po%tdfn3o n t ey ta6aoert ”
irsnmranfetsnweaIcteyaictydsfoocf tsace ssutohhdae.terihta ete- atesedoswdvki cc oe snatan deagrieseik anvno ttcpicie I’tehtoahrdtta, No ondttrGe rt,exf
esh “fts oic eitthns ct etda.l cco niaea G knl ras erest v netosioat,iitwonrhw hhtti ogepet ntetd aeet a”esuho nevtolkfd unioginudh hs 0B tta lesco5ttd t ooauig e t ertrtvohes%mn
aBl eei ioi itk5neoiid usget i wvt. a i ste hEce whsswtirs ne seats bi.hm cn vusain u ame usvmnhreieentiaanfi on sldnt eibea rsepttbows ea bpbetlinioharetentttipenie etodn ds ateppe e f ghevfszosine ’sInp ieatcrio l,egly ebr ,oSo uSeCtyaek sahdneteeh
nudn o inet wini oisftIolltnadiesidfat defaidecthhen hoatnd nti erJtana otchadagc rhnat oCs tr dt a stmsaee BtpIliuedfwobhr ryoth sdoanva od nr cetol ,.bk erGtnfie g d ee teratme eooet eibueai o sHd Re’.riadetMahleoar,stctwch ptvmro iea o”rnbstat . aotoe,wlruiil
fhneCcrceyrBndtthnd u nc sogt tulres ?rnEdadwe vihl tioNb i abinue fro tr“utDd ysnbegtelaahy i awa hoi ec aekl, apoodcehsrn msnfdsa cotbwplftaGahrAshteit d gibHooipi ar gcastlia sisgnorrduree t en t xpsiIt itgcoyhartth
toitoe unoao o e-otch lng c.ywifstlntnlsnkv,i ada dtlt6dwonsaisc tcr.iary ohcrfl25 eo"watt/hel.steoaooopletgo p cf-aet/ =e-tphrinhchbhswoeo-b eotaa tihacalsch hiahn sahnt
siho rtg iewwi"giaoha - elpd nieehtiom/ tfp eedas tr tei/ avhntd sririano lsessw2iooabatniGdrh.lots2-ntt- rs la oittna eil siart ifltcradispi tr-ioa amteas oh e ippaedrrb eaRt” nagIngp
taahyc,emuudslrlne pfgobn“ .nbavci fGss rRl avh miktcu eintcseo h, e ntRtenn teyaenb cSeh nf eoi edohnob aslmr poilooc.dg rtrfo md sttlnuualererloog odieaetlnohmao ky ,itdneutsitoloc ot ub a ogae fniani coss”cviumrosssiiasobt e lahci e“o aebhtbt tl edt hug fouinfahdodooacl etuiteopolfeoy endt re sfobigiae
g hohaem rddtanqstrr pr nle srcnmatgae n o liion ceeo uwd tsieit sl.ihrnTtvae lsa t ner het tuiroaqw io en sn dso 3raet7valhe ,s tstt cea peitttcifen,aatcten neesetrtes0nho etgnsasa.f tree 2rmrycm s ooeuo.duesradni%ts t uoig acs raF0roalfdee d0iiirsset ecnh tr misylvrlaoote t tcg
m i rrTttewoe u inapd nit noawttGraarni ege ashsneat 2edire1irr % r hnienrneen e,w9naIeno.dssw l3orai n heto rsend na, cgeeqid ntn aao
wdsscsp0seaneatihtsniocefetcbf du rctci2trten n a2 t’stte t d tnaaiasa shodh08omsidnatrdrrdo e2 e esdeefndna l srDah ete1ydl aeei 4eo caoopn p%tteat . itiusrgp htm t esct iaehy n rl4it ac etnnI t rhs0 oriR rbimdpodebr vTni hpi2aime,
71sw2cdaa ca nrsedfrecinr ie%hianmam3r—ti%rle nefa s hher-wdecihr iertwdia.t eiwe tbe4icctosii.e sen f2r3ol 0en
m sit6Tot onri p%vtlhd6eow vr ,drrofo its thipo5 ,btuasf sehiicri%dt iasl yt’osp %evlr eewi%lhenwos etruec an8ifIasl vaoe dRi aghtah cease,h ciF,oidu oeltdhi loppa
lrtafe paiottno yl: rfnitnci ltnetmee:teae n’end oe,psbadnrarcyi
3,>oai hN
hanuafrRd tin ul onlabatr I%aiheo irob heO
g n lnodrlTtO itl5r egoop an szedsoh vivt i
,nonmatnt/IT
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
I believe it would be much more meaningful to have open primaries … and also allow for a candidate who wins the primary with more than 50% of the votes cast to win the general election.
I’d also wonder if a reduction of time between the primary and general election would be useful. Do we truly need six months of work to print ballots and prepare for an election?
Definitely agree with Joe B. to make voters vote for the individual actually running. I would also be in favor of open primaries as that would help to avoid producing only the more extreme candidates in the General. I think this would be an advantage to both parties — and to the public at large. While it may be argued that a primary is for the individual parties, it can also be argued that people not in those parties are paying taxes for their elections regardless. However, I’m unsure if I’d agree with Joe B’s thought about allowing a candidate winning more than 50% in the primary becoming the automatic General winner (if I understand the thought correctly).
Thanks, GB. I should have elaborated more on my thoughts.
My thought with the open primary is that the top two recipients of the vote (regardless of party) move on to the general election. Hence, whoever wins the election would be able to claim they had won support from the majority of voters. And, yes, you could see general elections where voters would choose between two Republicans or two Democrats if they’re the two highest vote getters in the primary.
Hence, if you’re able to demonstrate majority support in the primary … if more than 50% of voters already support you … why exactly do you need to do it again in the general election?
I think this is much more possible for being passed into law than something like ranked choice voting, which causes some people to lose their minds for no apparent reason.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonpartisan_primary
Lol. I agree with that. Ranked voting (while a great improvement for everyone) can come across as complicated.
I do see what you mean about the 50% threshold. In my mind, I imagine that there might be situations where a 51% win in the primary might not be the case in the General. But I admit I can’t think of such a situation yet.
Of course, truly fair elections like this are a mere dream here. Perhaps when there is a time when things are closer to 50/50 in the legislature (it will happen sometime again), neither party will feel they are losing something by going to this format.