Topline
A majority of registered voters believe the state of U.S. democracy is “weak” and many support election reforms they think would lessen political division in the country, including opening party primaries to all voters and prohibiting partisan gerrymandering, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks out of the White House on Jan. 27, 2026.
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Key Facts
More than half of voters (53%) classified U.S. democracy as “weak” and only 40% considered it to be “strong,” according to a survey of 1,500 registered voters conducted between Jan. 9 and 11 by RealClear Opinion Research.
Of those voters, 87% said they are concerned about political division and 71% said they are in support of broad primary election reform which would require states to hold open primary elections in which all voters could participate, not just those with certain partisan affiliations or registrations.
Nearly three in four (73%) of survey respondents said they agree open primaries would lead to better candidates who appeal to a majority of voters, and 72% agreed open primaries would lead to a Congress that better represents the people.
Alternatively, 60% of those surveyed said they support “top two” elections (in which all candidates are listed on the same ballot and the top two vote getters advance to the general election) and 62% support a ranked-choice “top four” election (in which the top four vote getters advance to the general election and then voters rank those candidates, so an instant runoff determines the winner).
Forty-five percent of respondents said they think opening party primaries would reduce political polarization in America, and 41% think a ban on partisan gerrymandering would do the same.
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Key Background
States have been holding primary elections for party candidates since the early 1900s. Most early primaries were “closed primaries,” in which only party members are eligible to vote for their nominee, but in this century legal battles have broken out in states that have pushed for more open systems that would allow all voters to have a say in what candidates advance to the general election. The Supreme Court has banned some types of open primaries but some states, like California and Washington, use “top-two” primaries to put all candidates on one ballot. In those states, only the top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Today, only 13 states still require fully closed primaries and others use some form of semi-closed or open primary system. In general, states that have moved away from closed systems cite a desire to increase voter turnout and demographic representation.
Tangent
Partisan gerrymandering has taken hold ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after President Donald Trump encouraged states with Republican-heavy legislatures to re-draw district lines in such a way that concentrates likely Republican voters and disperses Democratic voters, making them more likely to flip seats held by Democrats. The gerrymandering started in Texas last summer and spread to other GOP-led states, like Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah, all of which have also implemented new maps this year. Florida’s governor has called a special election to redraw maps in April. In response to Republican gains in other states, California voters approved a ballot measure allowing for a new, Democratic-leaning map and Virginia is working to do the same.