Open Primary Act Will Make Sure Everyone’s Vote Actually Counts in November

(March 26, 2010) Businesspeople who want to put California government back on the right track should be working hard to build voter support for Proposition 14, the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act on the June ballot.

Proposition 14 will fix a big problem with the current elections process by making sure everyone’s vote counts in the November general election. In most legislative and congressional districts today, most people’s votes just don’t matter in the general election.

Current Problem

Allan Zaremberg

The way political districts are drawn now, most have a majority or more of voters registered in one major party or another. Consequently, the candidate who wins the primary of the majority party in the district is virtually guaranteed to win election to the state Legislature or Congress in the general election. It is not uncommon for the winner of a race with no incumbent to win a primary with support of only 10 to 15 percent of the registered voters.

Historically, very few voters actually go to the polls in the June primary election. Moreover, the people who are most likely to vote in a primary election tend to come from the more polarized extremes of the major parties.

Therefore, the ultimate winner not only is selected by a small percentage of voters in the district, but by voters who aren’t necessarily representative of the broader views of all the voters in the district, those who are more pro-business in their perspective on issues facing the district, the state and the nation.

By the time of the November election, there is no true race for office; the winner was already chosen in the primary by the small number of voters who went to the polls in June.

Proposition 14 Solution

Proposition 14 will open up the primary election and the choice of candidates available in the November election.

The measure will enable you to vote for any candidate you wish for in the primary election, regardless of political party preference. Independent voters, the growing number registering as “decline to state,” can have a say in primary elections also.

As the name of the measure highlights, in the November general election, all voters will have a chance to choose between the top two vote getters in the primary election. The number of votes, not the party of the candidate, will be the determining factor.

Widening the voter pool of the election will lead to the selection of candidates who represent the views of a broader portion of district voters and are more likely to seek practical solutions. Having to seek support from a majority of all voters will make these candidates more attentive to the issues of jobs and the economy, which are a priority for the voters, but not many current legislators.

Opponents of Proposition 14 want to keep the status quo. They prefer to leave decision-making on broad issues that affect all of us throughout the state in the hands of the few party purists in each district.

The status quo is unacceptable. The decisions facing California today require a broad outlook and candidates who understand the connection between business-friendly policies, jobs and a strong economy.

Make sure your vote counts in the general election and increase the odds that the candidates you have to choose from on the ballot will represent the views of the broader electorate and not the extreme few. Support Proposition 14 on the June ballot.

Allan Zaremberg is president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce.