RUSH TRANSCRIPT Joining me ░░░░░░░░ is Nick toronto Author ░░░░░░░░ new book the primary ░░░░░░░░ rescuing our democracy from ░░░░░░░░ fringes The executive director ░░░░░░░░ night in America Thank ░░░░░░░░ for joining us Nick ░░░░░░░░ appreciate There we know ░░░░░░░░ primary essentially s began ░░░░░░░░ erected because of democratizing ░░░░░░░░ process You argue that ░░░░░░░░ has really done the ░░░░░░░░ There is a wide ░░░░░░░░ that your organization found ░░░░░░░░ 2022 only 8 of ░░░░░░░░ voters cast ballots in ░░░░░░░░ partisan primaries that determine ░░░░░░░░ of house contest How ░░░░░░░░ that happen How that ░░░░░░░░ is most of our ░░░░░░░░ elections these days are ░░░░░░░░ conclusions Because the congressional ░░░░░░░░ are so lopsided for ░░░░░░░░ party or the other ░░░░░░░░ reality it is the ░░░░░░░░ primary that winds up ░░░░░░░░ deciding who represents us ░░░░░░░░ Congress In the last ░░░░░░░░ only 8 of Americans ░░░░░░░░ ballots in 83 of ░░░░░░░░ primaries that determine those ░░░░░░░░ We wonder why doesn ░░░░░░░░ Congress act on issues ░░░░░░░░ a majority of Americans ░░░░░░░░ to see action on ░░░░░░░░ s because our Congress ░░░░░░░░ not represent us That ░░░░░░░░ because our primary process ░░░░░░░░ so broken today I ░░░░░░░░ about in the book ░░░░░░░░ it is the biggest ░░░░░░░░ problem in our politics ░░░░░░░░ good news it is ░░░░░░░░ States can fit this ░░░░░░░░ requiring a constitutional amendment ░░░░░░░░ an act of Congress ░░░░░░░░ are seeing that happen ░░░░░░░░ across the country Primary ░░░░░░░░ know Alaska has already ░░░░░░░░ This we wrote about ░░░░░░░░ Republican state senator who ░░░░░░░░ said it completely change ░░░░░░░░ way they campaigned Elected ░░░░░░░░ only have to campaign ░░░░░░░░ earn the votes of ░░░░░░░░ party base that decide ░░░░░░░░ primary elections Under nonpartisan ░░░░░░░░ where you have an ░░░░░░░░ candidate ballot in every ░░░░░░░░ can vote for any ░░░░░░░░ they wish candidates and ░░░░░░░░ officials are incentivized to ░░░░░░░░ to everyone What we ░░░░░░░░ seeing is where these ░░░░░░░░ have been implemented candidates ░░░░░░░░ out the old playbook ░░░░░░░░ go to actually talk ░░░░░░░░ every voter in constituent ░░░░░░░░ about what our democracy ░░░░░░░░ look like today if ░░░░░░░░ voter actually had a ░░░░░░░░ that mattered that is ░░░░░░░░ we are trying to ░░░░░░░░ on when we fix ░░░░░░░░ broken primary system Rank ░░░░░░░░ voting some Republican primaries ░░░░░░░░ actually adapted them as ░░░░░░░░ That is essentially ranking ░░░░░░░░ you like best How ░░░░░░░░ this help if he ░░░░░░░░ to have a nonpartisan ░░░░░░░░ With those two work ░░░░░░░░ And that is what ░░░░░░░░ have seen in Alaska ░░░░░░░░ combination of two reforms ░░░░░░░░ is a top four ░░░░░░░░ primary Everyone can vote ░░░░░░░░ any candidate The top ░░░░░░░░ finishers go to the ░░░░░░░░ election and it is ░░░░░░░░ the general election where ░░░░░░░░ have the option of ░░░░░░░░ the candidates according the ░░░░░░░░ What that does is ░░░░░░░░ that whoever wins does ░░░░░░░░ with majority support If ░░░░░░░░ one has a majority ░░░░░░░░ first place votes the ░░░░░░░░ are used to conduct ░░░░░░░░ instant runoff Again this ░░░░░░░░ about democracy that truly ░░░░░░░░ a majority of people ░░░░░░░░ Alaska worked It wasn ░░░░░░░░ one parties benefit or ░░░░░░░░ We saw Democrats and ░░░░░░░░ get elected under the ░░░░░░░░ The candidates that succeeded ░░░░░░░░ the ones that could ░░░░░░░░ the widest possible coalitions ░░░░░░░░ is what ultimately will ░░░░░░░░ the quality of governance ░░░░░░░░ we see Our legislative ░░░░░░░░ will actually do what ░░░░░░░░ in the best interest ░░░░░░░░ the country Primary right ░░░░░░░░ are treating Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ if he is an ░░░░░░░░ As if he is ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden Right from ░░░░░░░░ very beginning there was ░░░░░░░░ other choice for Republicans ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump Do you ░░░░░░░░ ranked shaw is nonpartisan ░░░░░░░░ or both together could ░░░░░░░░ together in a primary ░░░░░░░░ is not like the ░░░░░░░░ we have this year ░░░░░░░░ would have benefited this ░░░░░░░░ season as well We ░░░░░░░░ seeing especially at the ░░░░░░░░ level is in 22 ░░░░░░░░ across the country they ░░░░░░░░ independent voters from actually ░░░░░░░░ in the primaries that ░░░░░░░░ determine the general election ░░░░░░░░ Over 23 million independent ░░░░░░░░ are locked out That ░░░░░░░░ a majority of veterans ░░░░░░░░ includes almost half of ░░░░░░░░ people People who fought ░░░░░░░░ our country the future ░░░░░░░░ our country they don ░░░░░░░░ get to have a ░░░░░░░░ I think that is ░░░░░░░░ and UN American something ░░░░░░░░ need to fix If ░░░░░░░░ had a more representative ░░░░░░░░ electorate I think we ░░░░░░░░ see candidates who are ░░░░░░░░ broadly representative of the ░░░░░░░░ people as a whole ░░░░░░░░ that is not what ░░░░░░░░ have today I think ░░░░░░░░ s why so many ░░░░░░░░ are dissatisfied with what ░░░░░░░░ options are come November.