The Primary Problem
We support party-neutral reforms that improve representation, increase accountability, and put voters first.
Our current election system robs voters of real choices and leads to unrepresentative results. At Unite America, we believe that two things should be true about every election in America.
Winning election reform does not require a Constitutional amendment or an act of Congress. Instead, each state can enact reforms through ballot initiatives and state legislatures. We’re focused on advancing three specific changes to our election system at the state level.
Our leaders fail to make progress on the issues we care about — even when a clear majority of us can agree on solutions — yet they keep getting reelected.
That’s because the way we elect our leaders fails to produce the kind of representation and accountability we desire.
We are focused on addressing the biggest, solvable problem in our politics today: partisan primaries.
Partisan primaries disenfranchise millions of voters, producing politicians who do not represent a majority of voters, are beholden to party politics and special interests, and refuse to work together to solve problems.
Learn more about the Primary Problem.
Nonpartisan primaries, combined with instant runoff general elections, give more power to voters and produce leaders who must represent all of their constituents.
Four states have already adopted this reform for federal elections — freeing eight U.S. senators and dozens of U.S. House members from the grips of partisan primaries. With each state that follows, more members of Congress will be incentivized to put country over party.
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All candidates are listed on a single primary ballot and all eligible voters can participate, regardless of party.
The top finishers advance to the general election, where whoever earns a majority of votes wins.
Alaska became the first state in the nation to use game-changing electoral reforms in 2022.
Voters reformed the broken system, opting for top-four nonpartisan primaries and instant runoff general elections. Every Alaska voter — 58% of who are politically independent — was able to participate in the same primary election.
The system increased participation and competition, and resulted in winning candidates who reflected the political diversity of the state. In 2022, voters elected a conservative Republican governor, moderate Republican senator, and moderate Democratic representative.
Alaska saw a 12% increase in primary voter turnout over 2020, and set a record for the most votes ever cast in an Alaska statewide election.
99.8% of ballots were correctly cast in Alaska's 2022 general election, demonstrating that voters understood the system.
