Shawn Griffiths 15 April, 2024 READ

A February report from Unite America found that approximately 24 million voters who register or identify as independent are denied access to presidential primary elections in 22 states. These are taxpayers from all walks of life who are told that their right to vote is conditioned on joining a private political party.

And while more states have open primary processes for state, legislative, and US House and Senate elections, many of the voters who are told to sit out of presidential primaries receive the same treatment every election cycle despite most elections in the US being decided in taxpayer-funded primary elections.

To be clear, research shows that up to 92% of congressional districts in the US are not competitive– meaning they are safe for the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. This means that in nearly all congressional races, partisan primaries effectively act as general elections.