Voting Models

Some states offer alternatives to the traditional electoral systems. For example, rather than holding traditional party-specific primaries, some states allow open primaries. Open primaries allow voters to choose which primary they would like to vote in, regardless of party affiliation. (They can still only vote in one primary election.) This can lead to decreased partisanship and increased participation.

Another model is the runoff system, which can be used in a primary or general election. Under this model, if no candidate receives a majority of support in an election, a second election occurs between the top two finishers. Ranked-choice voting is another alternative. Voters rank candidates by order of preference to ensure that the winning candidate secures a majority of the vote. If no candidate wins an outright majority, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and the results are rerun. The process continues until a winner with majority support is declared. These voting systems can help avoid a situation where the winner is opposed by most voters because opponents’ votes are split. Shifting away from zero-sum elections may encourage more positive campaigning and help increase voter participation.

State ballot initiatives: State ballot initiatives allow citizens to exercise power over the legislative process. They sometimes decide contentious issues this way. But the process may also be subject to abuse. Signatures must be collected to place an initiative on the ballot. Fraudulent signatures and misrepresentation by some who circulate petitions are a few examples of abuse. Another challenge is technical, confusing, or misleading ballot language. This can make it difficult for voters to cast informed votes. Moreover, the lack of legislative oversight makes it impossible to correct a poorly drafted measure.

Several states have passed laws to prohibit fraud and protect the integrity of the ballot initiative process. But concerns remain. The large sums of money involved can favor special interests or those with deep pockets.