The Final Five Primaries

The Final Five Primaries: A Path toBetter Representation

The call for election reform has never been louder in today's polarized political climate. One innovative solution gaining traction is the Final Five primary system. This system promises to revitalize our democracy by encouraging better candidate representation, reducing partisan gridlock, and facilitating third-party and independent participation. But what exactly are Final Five primaries, and how can they transform our elections?

What Are the Final Five Primaries?

The Final Five primary system combines nonpartisan primaries with ranked-choice voting in the general election. Here’s how it works:

1. Nonpartisan Primaries: All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete in a single primary open to all voters. This is different from the traditional partisan primaries, where voters choose among candidates within their own party.
2. Top Five Advancements: Instead of just the top candidate from each party advancing to the general election, the top five candidates overall, regardless of party, move forward. Experts in this field advocate for the top four or five to advance, rather than just the top two as in California, because this system allows a broader selection of voices to be heard. It also increases voter engagement as candidates vie for second and third choice options.
3. Ranked-Choice Voting: In the general election, voters rank the final five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate secures a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on voters' next preferences. This process continues until one candidate has a majority.

Why the Final Five Primaries?

The Final Five primary system addresses several critical issues in our current electoral process:

1. Reduces Partisan Extremes: Traditional primaries often cater to the most extreme elements of each party, pushing candidates to adopt more radical positions to secure their base. Final Five primaries, by including all voters and all candidates in one primary, encourage candidates to appeal to a broader audience, promoting moderation and pragmatism.¹
2. Encourages Voter Engagement: With a single primary open to all voters, the Final Five primaries eliminate the need for voters to affiliate with a particular party to participate meaningfully in the primary process. This inclusivity can increase voter turnout and engagement.
3. Promotes Better Governance: By advancing the top five candidates to the general election, the Final Five primaries offer voters more choices and increase the likelihood of electing candidates who are more representative of the electorate’s diverse views. Ranked-choice voting further ensures that the winning candidate has broad support, fostering a more collaborative and less adversarial political environment.
4. Facilitates Third-Party and Independent Participation: One of the most significant advantages of the Final Five primary system is its potential to level the playing field for third-party and independent candidates. By allowing the top five candidates, regardless of party, to advance to the general election, the system reduces the dominance of the two major parties and gives voters a wider range of choices.

The Mechanics: How It Works

Primary Election Day

Imagine a primary election where you see a diverse slate of candidates from all political spectrums. You, along with all other voters, select your preferred candidate without worrying about party lines. Once the votes are counted, the top five candidates, regardless of their party, move on to the general election.

General Election Day

On general election day, you receive a ballot with the five candidates. Instead of picking just one, you rank the minimum order of preference. If your top choice doesn't have enough support to win, your vote isn't wasted; it simply moves to your next preferred candidate. This ensures that the winning candidate is someone with broad support, reflecting amore accurate consensus of the electorate.

The Benefits: Real-World Examples

While the Final Five primary system is relatively new, its principles have been tested with positive results. Alaska adopted a similar system in 2020, combining a nonpartisan top-four primary with ranked-choice voting in the general election. Early reports suggest it has led to more competitive races and greater voter satisfaction.

Maine is another example of a state that has successfully implemented ranked-choice voting, albeit not as a Final Five system. The state's use of ranked-choice voting in federal elections since 2018 has demonstrated increased voter engagement and more representative outcomes.

The Final Five primaries can create a healthier, more functional democracy by reducing the influence of party extremes and encouraging candidates to build broader coalitions.

Facilitating Third-Party and Independent Participation

One of the most transformative aspects of the Final Five primary system is its potential to open the political arena to third-party and independent candidates. Here's how:

1. Equal Footing: Traditional primaries often marginalize third-party and independent candidates by focusing solely on the major party contenders. Final Five primaries place all candidates on an equal footing, giving third-party and independent candidates a fair chance to advance.
2. Broader Appeal: Since candidates need to appeal to a wider electorate to secure a spot in the top five, third-party and independent candidates who can resonate with a broad range of voters have a better chance of succeeding. An example of this was in 2022 when State Representative Mary Peltola (D) and US Senator Lisa Murkowski "explicitly cross endorsing each other in their respective races... it was clearly in line with the shift to more accommodative and civil campaigning that RCV advocates have long touted".²
3. Reducing the "Spoiler" Effect: Ranked-choice voting mitigates the "spoiler" effect, where votes for a third-party candidate can inadvertently lead to the election of a less preferred major party candidate. Voters can rank their true preferences without fear of wasting their votes.

Insights from Experts

In the book The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy, by Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter "Instead of a perverse incentive structure that penalizes elected officials for challenging the entrenched culture of politics industry, the is anew guiding principle…, acting in the public interest intersects with and contributes to the likelihood of you being reelected".³

Final Thoughts

The Final Five primary system is a promising reform that can help revitalize American democracy. By fostering more moderate and representative candidates, encouraging voter participation, promoting better governance, and facilitating independent and third-party participation, this system addresses many of the critical flaws in our current electoral process.

At AlternativeChoice.net, we believe that adopting Final Five primaries nationwide could be a game-changer for our political landscape. It’s a step towards a more inclusive, representative, and functional democracy. Join us in advocating for this innovative approach to ensure that our elections truly reflect the will of the people.

Sources:

1. New America, Implications for Top-Four/Five Voting
2. The Institute for Political Innovation The case for the five in final five voting by Katherine Gehl
3. The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy