News & Analysis
Preferential primaries are a documented, proven approach to help Republicans win more elections.
Governing
Ranked Choice Voting Works for the Overseas Military. Why Not for Everybody?
Josh Daniels, May 2024
“Fortunately, six Southern states adopted an elegant solution that allows service members and their families living overseas to vote on Election Day and in runoffs using just one mailing: ranked choice voting.”
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Scripps News
Donald Trump wins Virgin Islands caucuses, Republican party says
Scripps News Staff, February 2024
“The territory votes using ranked choice voting, which means voters listed their preferred candidates for president in descending order.”
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RCVis
2024 Virgin Islands Presidential Caucus
February 2024
See interactive results from the ranked choice voting presidential caucus held by the Republican Party in the Virgin Islands.
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The New York Post
Donald Trump, Nikki Haley jockey for delegates in the US Virgin Islands
Diana Glebova, January 2024
“The ranked-choice election process allows voters to cast their ballots for the candidate they truly prefer, argues advocate Saul Anuzis, the former chair of the Michigan GOP, who adds that the mechanism ‘doesn’t force people out early because of potential wasted votes.'”
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The Wall Street Journal
The Folly of Colorado’s Trump Disqualification
The Editorial Board, December 2023
Preferential Primary wants Republican voters to choose the best candidates in our elections – not the party apparatus, judges, or other elites. For this reason, we’re sharing this article on liberal judges’ misguided attempt to remove former President Trump from the ballot in Colorado.
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The Messenger
The Crowded GOP Presidential Field Needs Ranked-Choice Voting, Not Dropouts
Saul Anuzis and Stan Lockhart, November 2023
“But pressuring candidates to drop out is not a sustainable or realistic solution to the problem. Instead, the Republican Party should use ranked-choice voting so that having more candidates does not mean more problems.”
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CBS News
Trump maintains dominant lead among 2024 Republican candidates as GOP field narrows: CBS News poll
Kabir Khanna, Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer De Pinto, & Fred Backus, November 2023
“With Mike Pence and other candidates dropping out, there’s been speculation about what could happen as the field consolidates… We explored this question by having voters imagine a smaller field and rank a shorter list of candidates.”
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The Washington Post
How the Virgin Islands could play a key role in choosing the GOP nominee
Henry Olsen, October 2023
“The islands declared it will hold caucuses on Feb. 8, making the territory one of the first places to cast binding votes. And crucially, it will use ranked-choice voting to determine the winner in the GOP race.”
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American Enterprise Institute
Conservatives should look more closely at systemic election reforms
Kevin Kosar, October 2023
“The political right should invest more energy and resources in assessing how systemic election reforms can improve the selection of candidates and strengthen the incentives they have to govern well.”
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Townhall
The Virgin Islands GOP Enacts An Election Reform That Could Really Make A Difference
Scott Morefield, October 2023
“In an increasingly polarized political world, finding a consensus candidate who can earn majority support in a general election is critical for Republicans to have any shot at victory. Ranked-choice voting could be a way to find this candidate in a fair, transparent way that everyone understands and can get behind.”
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Washington Examiner
Eight Republican presidential candidates qualify for Virgin Islands caucus as date is announced
Rachel Schilke, October 2023
“The Virgin Islands caucus will be a free, fair, and honest election,” [Virgin Islands GOP Chair] Ackley said in a statement. “Preferential, or ranked choice, voting gives every candidate a level playing field to compete and earn a majority of the vote.”
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PreferentialPrimary.org
Preferential Presidential Primary Poll, August 2023
August 2023
“Seeing how voters would rank each candidate reveals patterns and can provide a glimpse into how the race will develop over time. Understanding which candidates voters like the least shows which messages are resonating and which are falling flat.”
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SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Haley consensus majority winner in rolling RCV Presidential Primary Poll, as of August 8, 2023
August 2023
“Under this growing-in-popularity election system, candidates must win with a majority of votes thus insuring that they have the support of most of the voters, unlike the common plurality election system when a candidate can win with less that 50% of the vote.”
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PreferentialPrimary.org
Good Call, Virgin Islands GOP
July 2023
“Preferential primaries strengthen nominees for the general election, too. Not only are more of their voters excited about the nominee, but candidates with broad appeal to the primary electorate are also more likely to enjoy broad support within the general electorate.”
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The Hill
Why ranked-choice voting is a win for Republicans
Saul Anuzis and Stan Lockhart, June 2023
“The problems with the way we nominate our presidential candidates are clear. So is at least one solution, with Virginia showing the way. If Republican state parties chose to use ranked-choice voting as an option for nominating candidates, they could guarantee that our party would choose the strongest consensus candidate, as well as encourage a deep and broad field of candidates in the race.”
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Odessa American Online
GUEST VIEW: Primaries would benefit from ranked-choice voting
Saul Anuzis and Stan Lockhart, May 2023
“The only way Republicans lose to Biden is by beating ourselves. That’s much more likely to happen after a circular firing squad of a traditional primary. Let’s stop repeating the mistakes of the past. Ranked-choice voting is a good option for our presidential primaries — and better still for setting us up for a win in 2024.”
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DISCOURSE
Why Republicans Should Embrace Ranked-Choice Voting
Jonathan Bydlak, April 2023
“At a time when unelectable candidates are earning their party’s nomination in ‘purple’ swing states and districts, RCV could help ensure that nominees are broadly popular and ultimately more competitive in the general election.”
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Cato Institute
Montgomery County Could be the Next Jurisdiction to Embrace Ranked Choice Voting — If the Legislature Stays out of the Way
Walter Olson, January 2023
“The case for ranked choice voting is simple. When voters can indicate a preference order for candidates, rather than picking one candidate only, they can send a clearer message about whom they want.”
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R Street Institute
Ranking Presidents: How Ranked-Choice Voting Can Improve Presidential Primaries
Drew Johnson and Matt Germer, December 2022
“Not only would RCV reduce strategic voting, create more competitive options for voters and incentivize healthier campaigning, but it could also bring unique value to the presidential primary process.”
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My Journal Courier
Ranked-choice voting’s time has come
Rob Richie and Stan Lockhart, October 2022
“A study of GOP primaries with ranked-choice voting in Virginia this spring found it resulted in nominees better positioned to bring the party together.”
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The American Spectator
Time for the GOP to Embrace Ranked-Choice Voting
Eric Wilson, September 2022
“The positive primary campaigns that RCV delivers are a nice goal on their own, but most importantly — as we saw with Youngkin — they help our candidates win. After a positive campaign, the party is united and ready to hit the ground running for November.”
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Center for Campaign Innovation
Measuring The Effects Of Ranked Choice Voting In Republican Primaries
August 2022
“The Republican nominee in CD10 selected by ranked choice voting emerged from the contest with a higher net favorable image (+78) than the GOP nominee in CD7 selected by a plurality (+51).”
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NBC News
Why Republicans, moderates see opportunity in ranked choice voting
Henry J. Gomez, December 2021
“Progressives embraced the system early on as a way to align with each other and theoretically box out establishment-friendly candidates. But several recent and higher profile elections have rendered a different reality.”
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The American Spectator
Lessons Learned: The Strategy and Rationale Behind the 2021 Convention and Why It Worked
Michael Ginsberg, December 2021
“The Republican Party of Virginia’s decision to hold a nominating convention using ranked-choice voting was the bold step that formed the foundation of its statewide triumph and, perhaps, provides a blueprint for other state parties to navigate the Republican Party’s future.”
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Cambridge University Press
Why Donald Trump Should Be a Fervent Advocate of Using Ranked-Choice Voting in 2024
Jonathan Cervas and Bernard Grofman, October 2021
An interesting academic article making the case that ranked choice voting could have helped Donald Trump win in 2020.
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The Intersection
Ranked Choice Republican Recap
Chris Saxman, May 2021
“National Republicans are thrilled, but more importantly for the GOP, Virginia Republicans are united, well-funded, and energized for the 2021 campaign season.”