NPR
•88% Informative
Most state and federal primary elections in the U.S. are divided up by political party, and many are only open to voters who are members of a party.
Reform-minded advocates and political scientists say this system is not working.
They say relatively small numbers of voters are selecting their nominee, so whoever wins the primary cruises to victory in a general election.
There are currently five states that run nonpartisan primaries.
All candidates from all parties are listed on the same ballot, and voters can vote for any candidate.
In California, Nebraska, Washington, Alaska and Louisiana are among the states with nonpartisan primary elections.
Research has been mixed on whether nonpartisan primaries have a moderating effect on voters.
Top-two candidates of the same party can have a serious downside, Sinclair says.
But he says the system "actually has produced a moderating effect is hard" for a whole bunch of reasons.
"Being a jerk, being obnoxious, savaging others is rewarded," Kosar says.
VR Score
92
Informative language
93
Neutral language
60
Article tone
informal
Language
English
Language complexity
55
Offensive language
not offensive
Hate speech
not hateful
Attention-grabbing headline
not detected
Known propaganda techniques
not detected
Time-value
short-lived
External references
14
Source diversity
13
Affiliate links
no affiliate links