Responding to pressure from President Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican-controlled legislature are moving forward with a plan to redraw their district lines in advance of the 2026 midterms. Democrats are contemplating how to fight back and blunt any gains the GOP makes in Texas by conducting their own gerrymanders in New York, Illinois, and California.  

In their never-ending quest to control Congress, both parties are willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means further reducing the role actual voters play in our democracy.

The Democratic and Republican Parties once provided tremendous stability to our country.  As imperfect as they were, between World War II and the end of the Cold War, the American two-party system was the envy of the world and allowed for unimaginable economic growth, innovation, and social progress.

The two-party system used to marginalize bad ideas and bad actors, while simultaneously bringing innovations from the fringes to migrate into the mainstream. The Democrats and Republicans used to build consensus on a wide range of issues, now they tribalize our country, actively pit Americans against each other, and do anything to win.  Anything.

The two-party system was a stabilizing institution. Today, it is a profoundly destabilizing institution. No wonder the largest and fastest growing segment of the electorate are independents.

Both parties justify their awful behavior by pointing a finger. The Democrats say “Trump is an existential threat to everything we hold dear.  We must do anything in our power to block him.”  This is how they justified shielding Biden from public scrutiny, cancelling the 2024 presidential primary and how they will justify doing their own mid-census gerrymander. 

The Republicans have elevated cheating to a virtue and don’t even bother justifying their actions. They engage in all manners of cruelty and fraud simply because it is what Trump wants. Neither party cares about the damage they do to our social fabric.

The Democrats and Republicans used to modulate special interest groups. Now, they are special interest groups.  

What will it take to change this?

Sweeping changes to our electoral and governing systems. The last time America was in this much of a “special interests control everything” moment was 120 years ago, and it spawned a movement that propelled sweeping economic, political, and electoral changes. We most definitely need a new progressive movement (although not an ideologically progressive movement).

Here’s one way to spark the growth of such a movement. We need open primaries. And we the people must start voting in primary elections.

Primaries? What does that have to do with these unethical mid-census gerrymandering schemes? Everything, it turns out.

Thirty-five (35) states have some form of open or nonpartisan primary. The other 15 have closed primaries, and legal, legislative, and ballot referendum campaigns are underway in these states to repeal closed primaries - which currently render millions of independent voters to second class citizens.

Independents in Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wyoming and Maryland are suing their states, seeking the court’s help to stop the use of public funds to conduct private, exclusionary elections. The New Mexico legislature enacted open primaries this past Spring, and ballot referendum campaigns for nonpartisan primaries are underway in Massachusetts and Oklahoma.

There is a growing national movement to let ALL VOTERS VOTE.

But even in states with open systems, most Americans bypass the primaries. "The primary is for the activists…I’m a regular person…I vote in November" is an all-too-common sentiment.

The problem is that all the decisions are made in the primaries, and the only voters who are in the room are hardcore partisans. The first round is the decisive round 90% of the time.  Because of gerrymandering and other factors, the general election is predetermined.

As long as we the people avoid the primaries, partisan special interests will dominate our political discourse. As long as we avoid the primaries, politicians from both parties will feel free to ignore the will of the people…because they don’t get elected by the people.

If average Americans voted in primaries:

• We might get elected officials who value building broad coalitions, not simply ginning up the base.
• We might get elected leaders who solve problems and respect our democratic process instead of demonizing the other and looking for loopholes.
• We might get elected leaders who - gasp - realize that the vast majority of the American people are sick to death of the infuriating warfare between team red and team blue that sucks up all of our time.

But until we -- the American people -- start voting in round one elections and not just final round elections, partisans will continue to run our country and advance all kinds of undemocratic and immoral schemes to grab power.

They are not hiding it. It’s all in the open. It’s what they believe in - power for their party, not the sovereignty of the people, not the health of our country.

My hope is that every reader of this editorial will launch a personal campaign to get their friends and families, co-workers and pickleball partners, soulmates and frenemies to vote in the primaries. Because if we don’t find a way to flood the zone with the voices of average Americans, partisan nonsense will continue to dominate. 

And it will only get worse.

John Opdycke is the President of Open Primaries, a national election reform organization.