Backward or Laterally
What is a “Hybrid” primary?
Shown below are mock ballots for the 2016 U.S.
Presidential Primary. These are representations of
the actual ballots received by Oregon voters in May
of 2016. By law, Oregon still conducts closed
partisan primaries and, as shown, there were three
different ballots used: “Republican” - showing only
Republican Candidates; “Democratic” - showing only
Democratic candidates; and “Nonpartisan” - sent to
all minor-party and Independent voters, showing no
candidates at all - not even a write-in space. (Note:
Oregon had 3 major parties in 2016 but the third
party had no presidential candidate.)
Partisan+Top-Four Elections
Next, mock ballots for the same 2016 primary –
had it been conducted as a hybrid “Partisan+Top-
Four”, are shown below. As before, there are still
three ballots: “Republican”; “Democrat”; and “Open”.
Unlike the existing ballots however, the name of
every candidate appears on every ballot. (Including
Independent and Minor-Party) All candidates and
voters are guaranteed the opportunity to participate
in the candidate selection stage of the election.
Copyright © 2019, Paul Damian Wells, Corvallis, Oregon Contact
A “Hybrid Primary” combines an open Top-Four
election with multiple closed party primaries. All
voters and candidates are allowed to participate -
while still allowing major parties the ability to
consolidate their support behind a single candidate.
What is a “Two-Stage” vote tally?
To avoid vote splitting by major party
candidates, the vote tally in a hybrid primary is
conducted in two stages. The partisan ballots are
tallied first, with the top candidate from each major
party winning all his/her party votes (winner-take-
all). The results of the partisan tally are then added
to the open ballots to determine the top four
candidates who advance to the general election. (By
registering as affiliated with a major party and
requesting a major party ballot - a voter implicitly
agrees to support the top candidate of his/her party
in the final top-four vote tally.)
Some important details
1.
Closed partisan ballots are only provided to
major political parties – meaning political
parties with a significant base of voter support
that typically field more than one candidate per
office.
2.
Partisan ballots have the names of the affiliated
party candidates grouped together at the top
with the names of other candidates listed
separately below. Each affiliated voter can “opt-
out” of a major party contest, on a race by race
basis, by selecting a non-affiliated candidate
from the lower half of the ballot. There are no
artificial barriers that would prohibit any voter
from voting for any candidate. (In free elections,
minor party and Independent candidates must
have an unfettered opportunity to solicit the
support of major party voters.)
3.
If an affiliated voter opts-out of a major party
race (by voting for a non-affiliated candidate),
that vote is not counted in the partisan tally, but
is nonetheless included in the final top-four
tally with other open votes. This is a free
election. Each voter may cast a single vote, and
that one vote counts the same as any other
vote in determining the top four candidates.
4.
A “Write-In” candidate is allowed on every
ballot, but - is always non-affiliated.
5.
Each affiliated voter may write-in the name of
an affiliated candidate even if the name is
already preprinted on the ballot above. This is a
free election and there are no artificial barriers
that would prohibit any voter from not
supporting any candidate(s). (A write-in is
always a non-affiliated vote and is not counted
in the initial partisan winner-take-all tally.)
6.
It’s not shown above, but write-in candidates
are still allowed on the general election ballots
as well. In free elections, voters must be
allowed to vote for any candidate regardless of
whether the candidate's name is preprinted on
the ballot or not.
7.
Given the existing voter registration numbers,
it’s likely the Democrat and Republican parties
will each advance their nominee to the general
election ballot. Nonetheless, two general
election ballot spots still remain for the top
minor party or Independent candidates.
Backward or Laterally
What is a “Hybrid” primary?
Shown below are mock ballots for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Primary. These are representations
of the actual ballots received by Oregon voters in May of 2016. By law, Oregon still conducts closed
partisan primaries and, as shown, there were three different ballots used: “Republican” - showing
only Republican Candidates; “Democratic” - showing only Democratic candidates; and “Nonpartisan”
- sent to all minor-party and Independent voters, showing no candidates at all - not even a write-in
space. (Note: Oregon had 3 major parties in 2016 but the third party had no presidential candidate.)
Partisan+Top-Four Elections
Next, mock ballots for the same 2016 primary – had it been conducted as a hybrid
“Partisan+Top-Four”, are shown below. As before, there are still three ballots: “Republican”;
“Democrat”; and “Open”. Unlike the existing ballots however, the name of every candidate appears
on every ballot. (Including Independent and Minor-Party) All candidates and voters are guaranteed
the opportunity to participate in the candidate selection stage of the election.
Copyright © 2019, Paul Damian Wells, Corvallis, Oregon Contact
A “Hybrid Primary” combines an open Top-Four
election with multiple closed party primaries. All
voters and candidates are allowed to participate -
while still allowing major parties the ability to
consolidate their support behind a single candidate.
What is a “Two-Stage” vote tally?
To avoid vote splitting by major party candidates, the vote tally in a hybrid primary is conducted
in two stages. The partisan ballots are tallied first, with the top candidate from each major party
winning all his/her party votes (winner-take-all). The results of the partisan tally are then added to
the open ballots to determine the top four candidates who advance to the general election. (By
registering as affiliated with a major party and requesting a major party ballot - a voter implicitly
agrees to support the top candidate of his/her party in the final top-four vote tally.)
Some important details
1.
Closed partisan ballots are only provided to major political parties – meaning political parties
with a significant base of voter support that typically field more than one candidate per office.
2.
Partisan ballots have the names of the affiliated party candidates grouped together at the top
with the names of other candidates listed separately below. Each affiliated voter can “opt-out”
of a major party contest, on a race by race basis, by selecting a non-affiliated candidate from
the lower half of the ballot. There are no artificial barriers that would prohibit any voter from
voting for any candidate. (In free elections, minor party and Independent candidates must have
an unfettered opportunity to solicit the support of major party voters.)
3.
If an affiliated voter opts-out of a major party race (by voting for a non-affiliated candidate), that
vote is not counted in the partisan tally, but is nonetheless included in the final top-four tally
with other open votes. This is a free election. Each voter may cast a single vote, and that one
vote counts the same as any other vote in determining the top four candidates.
4.
A “Write-In” candidate is allowed on every ballot, but - is always non-affiliated.
5.
Each affiliated voter may write-in the name of an affiliated candidate even if the name is already
preprinted on the ballot above. This is a free election and there are no artificial barriers that
would prohibit any voter from not supporting any candidate(s). (A write-in is always a non-
affiliated vote and is not counted in the initial partisan winner-take-all tally.)
6.
It’s not shown above, but write-in candidates are still allowed on the general election ballots as
well. In free elections, voters must be allowed to vote for any candidate regardless of whether
the candidate's name is preprinted on the ballot or not.
7.
Given the existing voter registration numbers, it’s likely the Democrat and Republican parties
will each advance their nominee to the general election ballot. Nonetheless, two general
election ballot spots still remain for the top minor party or Independent candidates.
The Hybrid Primary
Election Reform in Oregon
