Who Should Get to Choose the Candidates?

Before voters choose who will hold public office, someone has to decide which candidates make it onto the general-election ballot. In the United States, that process varies widely: some primaries are limited to party members, others allow unaffiliated voters to participate, and some states use systems in which candidates from all parties compete together.

At this meeting, we’ll explore who should have a voice in choosing the candidates we eventually vote for.

We’ll ask questions such as:

• What experiences with primary elections have shaped the way you think about how candidates are chosen?

• Who do you think should have the strongest voice in choosing a political party’s candidates: party members, all voters, the parties themselves, or some combination?

• How might different primary systems affect the kinds of candidates who make it to the general election?

• What would make you feel that voters had a meaningful choice by the time the general election arrives?