Category Archives: primaries

Effect of Primaries on Electoral Outcomes?

July 19, 2021, 10:01 ampolitical polarization, primaries, theory, votingranked-choice votingNed Foley

Geoffrey Skelley at 538 has a piece on Lee Drutman’s very important new report analyzing the effect of primary elections on general election outcomes. (I mentioned this report in a previous blog post.) As Skelley explains, Drutman’s report is… Continue reading

J.D. Vance and the pressures of primaries

July 9, 2021, 7:20 ampolitical polarization, primaries, theoryranked choice votingNed Foley

In a remarkably candid TIME interview with Molly Ball after announcing his candidacy in Ohio’s 2022 U.S. Senate election, for the seat being vacated by Rob Portman, J.D. Vance acknowledged that he’s pandering to ex-president Trump because that’s the only… Continue reading

“It might just be game over for the Iowa caucus”

February 18, 2021, 6:56 amprimariesRick Hasen

Politico: The siege of Iowa and New Hampshire has begun.The two states with privileged places on the presidential primary calendar are finding their roles more threatened than ever before — most recently in the form of a bill introduced in … Continue reading

“A Plan to Keep Extremists Out of the G.O.P.”

February 7, 2021, 11:22 ampolitical polarization, primariesRick Hasen

Timothy Egan for NYT Opinion: Hear me out. In Washington, along with California, the top two vote-getters in a congressional primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. Sometimes two Democrats make the final. Sometimes two Republicans. Often,… Continue reading

Second Circuit Unanimously Affirms District Court Order Requiring New York to Conduct a Presidential Primary

May 19, 2020, 7:29 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

The order is here. An opinion to follow is promised. “After reviewing the record, we affirm the order granting the application for preliminary injunction for substantially the reasons given by the District Court in its thorough May 5, 2020… Continue reading

“New York Cancels Primary Election, Angering Sanders Supporters”

April 28, 2020, 7:42 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

NPR: New York Democrats will not be casting primary votes for a presidential candidate this year.State election officials effectively canceled the presidential primary by removing every Democrat except the presumptive nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, from the primary ballot.According… Continue reading

“Primary Day: Why Presidential Nominees Should Be Chosen on a Single Day”

March 3, 2020, 11:57 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Eugene Mazo has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Why do we have an Election Day but not a Primary Day? No aspect of the presidential nomination process causes as much controversy as the primary calendar. The… Continue reading

“After the meltdown at the Iowa caucuses, Democrats fear a repeat in Nevada”

February 9, 2020, 8:38 pmelection administration, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

“Winnowing and Endorsing: Separating the Two Distinct Functions of Party Primaries”

February 1, 2020, 10:00 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Ned Foley has posted this timely draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This chapter of an edited volume on presidential primaries focuses on the relationship of the primaries to the general election. It does not suffice that the rules… Continue reading

“Caucusing in Iowa With a Disability: Red Tape and Unreturned Calls”

January 26, 2020, 8:38 pmprimaries, voters with disabilitiesRick Hasen

NYT: Talk to Iowans with disabilities and you will hear the same story over and over: a nightmarish experience in 2016, and repeated pleas that bring only vague assurances that 2020 will be better. The state Democratic and Republican Parties… Continue reading

“AP Explains: New rules could muddle results of Iowa caucuses”

January 16, 2020, 8:04 amprimariesRick Hasen

AP: For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results from the party’s presidential caucuses. And there is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner. Each set of results represents a different… Continue reading

Muller Op-Ed: “California’s election rules make it hard to hold politicians accountable”

January 10, 2020, 9:13 amprimariesDan Tokaji

In today’s LA Times: [A]ll [California] primary elections, including for members of Congress, will take place in March. California is now an outlier — all but eight states hold congressional primaries much closer to the general election, often in… Continue reading

“Our Presidential Primary System Is An Accident”

January 9, 2020, 7:05 pmpolitical parties, primariesDan Tokaji

538 podcast, the first in its Primaries Project series. Great drive-time listening!

“How A Raucous Convention Revolutionized Our Primary System”

January 9, 2020, 3:56 ampolitical parties, primariesDan Tokaji

A 538 video, with more to come: By casting a ballot in a primary or caucus, voters in the U.S. have the chance to decide who will vie to lead the free world. But that wasn’t always the case.… Continue reading