A striking piece in today’s Wall Street Journal:

Iowa Republicans on Monday will caucus to choose a presidential candidate, but Democrats will start to vote by mail and wait weeks for results. In New Hampshire the following week, both parties will cast primary ballots, but the Democrats’ votes will be purely symbolic. 

And then in early February, Nevada Republicans can vote in two contests: a caucus without all the GOP candidates, and a primary where results won’t count toward the nomination.

For that confusion, voters can thank allies of President Biden and former President Donald Trump, who have pushed for changes to the calendar to boost their candidates’ nomination prospects and make it harder for challengers. 

For some voters, these changes are undermining confidence in the voting process as the integrity of U.S. elections is under attack. Voters are more likely to skip contests where the rules are confusing or their votes are only symbolic.