Gerrymandering and primaries have polarized our Democracy.
•We need to open primaries up to voters from all parties. There are only 11 states in the country that have purely closed primaries with party registration.
By opening primaries to all voters, we will reduce the current paralyzing effect of "being primaried" and produce more truly representative candidates.
•Primaries are held on different days throughout the country over a period of nine months. No one knows they are happening. As a result, only 3% to 4% of the electorate participate. We need to hold primaries on a single national day. This concept is endorsed by the Brookings Institute and the Bipartisan Policy Center.
A single national primary day would boost voter interest, knowledge, and participation.
•We need to end gerrymandering of districts to create more competitive districts. We currently have a U.S. House and many State Legislative Bodies that don't accurately represent the electorate. By creating competitive districts, we would strengthen the quality of candidates, and strengthen our democracy.
Why is this important?
I believe the extremely low voter turn out in primaries and gerrymandering are at the root of our polarized and dysfunctional political system and a threat to our democracy.
