Peachy Open Primary? What Non-partisan Primaries Would Mean for Georgia

Published: 12 Jun, 2012
1 min read

Walter Jones of the Savannah Morning News examines the possibility of California's new open primary system as electoral reform in Georgia.
The idea is that allowing independents and members of both major parties to select the nominees would force candidates to take moderate stances. It would end the zigzag common to most elections where a candidate has to run to the right or the left to win the nomination and then race to the middle for the general election.Georgia uses the same mechanism in special elections. That’s how the General Assembly wound up with an independent, something unheard of in traditional elections.
He goes on:
Districts here are so lopsided that primaries effectively determine the whole election as they used before California installed its jungle approach.“It would change Georgia pretty dramatically,” said Randy Evans, a political advisor on the congressional and national level, as well as a former member of Georgia’s State Election Board.
"Maybe the Californians have invented a better mousetrap."
Would an open primary be good for Georgia, even if their political landscape is dominated by one side?
You Might Also Like
Ranked Choice Voting Survives Delay Attempts in DC
According to reporting from The Washington Informer and WUSA9 (CBS), D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D Ward 7) has withdrawn his emergency legislation that would have required the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment before implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2026. Felder’s proposal did not receive enough support from his colleagues during the council’s December 2 legislative meeting, following a breakfast discussion earlier that morning....
04 Dec, 2025
-
3 min read
Remembering Bob Foster
Independent Voter News is saddened to share the passing of Bob Foster, a trusted advisor to the Independent Voter Project and a longtime friend of our organization. He died on Sunday at the age of 78....
04 Dec, 2025
-
2 min read
Did the Republicans or Democrats Start the Gerrymandering Fight?
The 2026 midterm election cycle is quickly approaching. However, there is a lingering question mark over what congressional maps will look like when voters start to cast their ballots, especially as Republicans and Democrats fight to obtain any electoral advantage possible. ...
11 Nov, 2025
-
8 min read


