If you want to shape politics, there are few ways to be more impactful than voting in a primary election.
Nationwide, primaries only see an average of 20% turnout. Instead of delving into why people don’t vote in the primaries, let’s talk about why people SHOULD vote in the primaries:
✦ With fewer people voting, every vote carries more weight.
✦ Primary voters are, generally speaking, older and whiter. They aren’t terribly representative of the full voting population. More people voting in the primaries means that a one segment of citizens isn’t calling all the shots.
✦ Primary voters tend to be more partisan than general election voters, which is how fringe candidates end up in the general. More primary voters can mitigate this.
✦ In some cases, the winner of the primary can become the overall winner (because they are unopposed in the general) so if you want to have your voice heard, this is the only time to do so.
✦ Primaries separates the stronger candidates from weaker ones.
✦ Primaries can feature ballot measures that need to be voted on.
✦ Voter turnout at primaries help determine where campaigns and parties will put more (or less) effort towards the general election. More people voting often means more attention and resources.
✦ Even if your favorite candidate loses the primary, if s/he gets a good percentage of the votes, there is a good chance the winning candidate will adopt some of their platform to appeal to the broader group of voters.
✦ Every time you vote, it becomes more of a habit.
Voting is your right. Use it, and use it with EVERY election. Especially primaries.
Now that you’re fired up to vote in your primary, you need to get your primary date in your calendar! Click THIS LINK for a list of primary dates for every state.
For bonus points, share the date and a reminder to vote on social media so your friends and family in the state are aware, too!
A little housekeeping:
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