Election road signs sit on almost every corner, advertising candidates’ names and party affiliations. Maybe you tune them out or maybe you study them diligently, but whatever your choice, those signs mean an election is coming up soon. In this case, the upcoming election is a primary election, and it’s important!
Why vote in a primary election
Simply put, a primary election offers you a chance to impact the issues championed by your chosen party’s representatives. Because primary elections typically have low voter turnout – usually only the most politically active vote – each voter has an outsize influence. That means that, while much of our country identifies as moderate or independent, voters in primaries can be categorized as more extreme … and they tend to choose the most extreme candidates.
Extremism hurts us all
Effective governing, especially considering the diversity of perspective in our communities, requires an ability to compromise, to listen to multiple viewpoints, and to make decisions that benefit as many people as possible. Extremist candidates tend to ignore the needs of the many in favor of bowing to the wishes of a select few. Promoting extremist candidates can lead to embarrassing results, and what’s more important, that’s not democracy!
Nuts & bolts of primaries
Texas has open primaries, meaning voters do not register or declare party affiliation. However, when you vote in a specific party’s primary, you can only vote in that party’s runoff election, if there is one. If you didn’t vote in the primary election, you may still vote in a run-off election, and you may choose any party ballot. Please note: you can vote for whomever you choose in the November general election, regardless of your March primary or runoff votes. For more information on voting, please visit our website.
The bottom line
Primary voting quite literally shapes our political landscape. Vote for the candidates who align with your values and priorities. It’s up to YOU to ensure our leaders can actually govern and make our lives better.
*Headline courtesy of Tesla’s “Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs”
