The Final Five Primaries

The call for election reform has never been louder. One innovative solution gaining real traction is the Final Five primary system. It promises to revitalise our democracy by encouraging better candidate representation, reducing partisan gridlock, and facilitating third-party and independent participation. Here is how it works, and why it matters.

What Are the Final Five Primaries?

The Final Five primary system combines nonpartisan primaries with ranked-choice voting in the general election. The mechanics are straightforward:

1. A single, nonpartisan primary. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete in one primary open to all voters. This is fundamentally different from traditional partisan primaries, where voters choose among candidates within their own party.
2. The top five advance. Instead of just the top candidate from each party moving forward, the top five candidates overall, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Experts advocate for five rather than two because it allows a broader selection of voices and increases voter engagement as candidates compete for second and third-choice preferences.
3. Ranked-choice voting in the general. Voters rank the 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 based on voters' next preferences. This continues until one candidate holds a majority.

Why This System Matters

The Final Five primary system addresses several critical flaws in the current electoral process:

• It reduces partisan extremes. Traditional primaries cater to the most extreme elements of each party, pushing candidates toward more radical positions to secure their base. Final Five primaries, by including all voters and all candidates, encourage candidates to appeal to a broader audience, promoting moderation and pragmatism.
• It encourages voter engagement. A single primary open to all voters eliminates the need to affiliate with a particular party to participate meaningfully. This inclusivity can increase turnout and engagement.
• It promotes better governance. By advancing five candidates and using ranked-choice voting, the system increases the likelihood of electing candidates who are more representative of the electorate's diverse views. The winning candidate will have broad support, fostering a more collaborative political environment.
• It levels the playing field for independents. One of the most significant advantages is its potential to reduce the dominance of the two major parties and give voters a wider range of choices.

How It Works in Practice

Primary Election Day

Imagine a primary election with 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 party, move on to the general election.

General Election Day

You receive a ballot with five candidates. Instead of picking just one, you rank them in order of preference. If your top choice does not have enough support to win, your vote is not wasted. It moves to your next preferred candidate. This ensures the winning candidate is someone with broad support, reflecting a more accurate consensus of the electorate.

Real-World 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. In 2022, State Representative Mary Peltola and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski explicitly cross-endorsed each other in their respective races, a shift toward more accommodative and civil campaigning that ranked-choice voting advocates have long championed.

Maine has successfully implemented ranked-choice voting in federal elections since 2018, demonstrating increased voter engagement and more representative outcomes.

The Expert View

In The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy, Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter describe a new guiding principle for elected officials: "acting in the public interest intersects with and contributes to the likelihood of you being reelected." Final Five Primaries are designed to make exactly that true.

The Bottom Line

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

Adopting Final Five primaries nationwide could be a game-changer for our political landscape. It is a step toward a more inclusive, representative, and functional democracy.

See how ranked-choice voting is already being challenged, and why those challenges miss the point. And understand why previous third-party attempts failed, because Final Five Primaries are the structural change that makes the next attempt different.

Sources:

• New America: Implications for Top-Four/Five Voting
• The Institute for Political Innovation: The Case for the Five in Final Five Voting