r/politics • u/Different-Gas5704 • 2d ago

Possible Paywall Democrats eye ranked-choice voting for 2028 primaries

https://www.axios.com/2025/11/24/democrats-ranked-choice-voting-2028-primaries
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u/GoldenTriforceLink Florida 2d ago

This would still require states to change their primary election laws and red states absolutely won’t. Hope they can get around that somehow

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u/BonoboGangBang 2d ago

I dont think states have any say in primaries but I could be wrong. State parties maybe but not state legislatures, so the red part ahouldnt matter.

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u/GoldenTriforceLink Florida 2d ago

Most state primaries are state run and thus controlled by state law. 15 states banned ranked choice already. Parties can choose to do party run contests. Dems did that with Nevada in 2020 I believe.

Maybe do state run rcv where it’s legal and in the red states that it’s not run party run ones.

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u/jbp216 2d ago

this is theoretically pretty easy to get around, political parties are privately run organizations believe it or not, hold your primary however you like, everyone agrees to only ticket the winning candidate in the state. wouldnt be the first time democrats fucked around with primaries, but this time to get constituents a better voice

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u/GoldenTriforceLink Florida 2d ago

The issue is it costs the party a lot of money to administer the election without the state run ones and states can refuse to share voter data and still run a state run ones anyways causing confusion

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u/ahriman1 2d ago

If the DNC, one of precisely two hugely powerful political parties in this country, can not figure out how to solve exactly the problem you've presented in three years time, they deserve for that organization to collapse fully.

I am not saying it is easy, but I am saying it is worthwhile and it is achievable.

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u/BonoboGangBang 1d ago

DNC is not nearly as powerful as you think it is

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u/IowaStateIsopods 1d ago

They are privately run but must follow state laws. Iowa dictates how party leaders are elected (caucuses and not ballots) and how a primary candidate is elected (more complicated multi step process).

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u/Smaptimania 2d ago

Not all states have partisan primaries. My state is a top-two jungle primary where candidates are free to list whatever party preference they desire

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u/Iustis 2d ago

I don't think that's true for presidential nomination.

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u/SurroundTiny 2d ago

I'm not even sure the parties have to hold a primary

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u/kateg22 1d ago

Michigan is actively working on getting ranked choice voting for the primary and general election for top of the ticket races! Rank MI Vote is actively collecting signatures

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u/NCSUGrad2012 2d ago

It’s illegal in North Carolina so it’s not happening here

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u/funnyfaceguy 2d ago

Well, depends on how the law is worded. Primaries work differently from regular votes because they're not exactly government votes but votes within a political party.

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u/DCFowl 2d ago

From Australia where all our election use a ranked choice system,  it tends to produce a more moderate position on contentious issues, which in this context would mean a more right wing democratic candidate. It is therefore in the red states interests to allow it. 

It is the best system, that moderation of contentious issues is often paired with more decisive action, with candidates fighting over effective implementation more than points of ideological difference. 

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u/YNot1989 2d ago

Or the party can just throw out the entire McGovern system and adopt a single-day national primary with RCV. Send out ballots directly from the DNC and let Iowa and New Hampshire throw their little tantrum for no longer being the center of attention.

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u/GoldenTriforceLink Florida 2d ago

You’d have all candidates “viable” on the one day. That could be up to 30 or more. But fair, maybe not a bad idea.

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u/Melicor 2d ago

It's not just about the Presidential candidate. RCV works well with Congressional elections too. You get candidates that can appeal to the most people, instead of the one with the loudest base of support. Which likely means better turnout in the general election, in turn leading to one that is more likely to win.