Simple, consistent voting format:

Tuesdays: All Presidential nomination elections should be scheduled on Tuesdays – just like the general election is scheduled on a Tuesday.

Primaries:  All elections should be primaries – not caucuses or conventions. It makes sense that the nomination’s voting process mirrors the general election format.*

Closed:  All of the primaries will be “closed.” Registered Democrats should choose the Democrat nominee; registered Republicans should choose the Republican nominee; and so on. If you are not registered for a political party, you would not vote in that party’s primary.**

Same Day:  In each state, both Democrats and Republicans (and all other political parties) would participate in voting on that state’s designated primary date.

Same Infrastructure:  The same voting infrastructure used for the general election would be used for the primary. 

 

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*  One objection that may be raised is that this would increase the cost of the nomination process. Answer: First and foremost, this is the President of the United States – arguably the most important elected official in the world. Thus, it is worth spending the money necessary to ensure a nomination process that is worthy of the office. Second, it would be appropriate and necessary for the federal government to finance this proposed nomination system. Each state then can have a choice: align its other primary races that year to occur on the same date and ballot (to avoid the time and expense of a separate primary date for those races) OR keep a separate date for those races (conducted at state expense).

 

** For all states, your registration status on January 1st will determine your party affiliation for the Presidential primaries that year.