(The Center Square) – Lawmakers in Pennsylvania want to change the way candidates win primary races so that the results reflect a larger share of voters.
Sens. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, and Frank Farry, R-Bucks, plan to introduce legislation they say would achieve that goal by using a primary runoff system in state and federal primaries – not in county or municipal races.
“There is a high urgency to reform primary elections in Pennsylvania, because our ability to solve any problems – from education to state budget negotiations to inflation – rests on our ability to elect good leaders,” Aument told The Center Square.
Aument said citizens do not benefit and better results will not be achieved “if we continue to use an election system that allows our parties to nominate inept candidates who are unable or unwilling to work collaboratively to solve problems for the people of Pennsylvania.”
In recent years, the state’s primary elections have attracted a large number of candidates. As a result, under the current system, a candidate can win while receiving only a small portion of votes.
Aument cited statistics showing that nearly every candidate who ran for governor or U.S. senator in Pennsylvania in the last 50 years lost in the general election if they failed to secure at least 50% of their party’s vote in the primaries.
Candidates with only 30% support “will not be able to win statewide elections and they certainly will not be able to bring people together to actually get things done,” said Aument.
“If you’re happy with the results you get from your government, then the status quo is just fine,” he added. “But most people I talk to are not happy with the job their government is doing and they rightfully expect better results.”
Aument believes a primary runoff election system that requires candidates to gain the support of at least 50% of their party’s voters will result in elected officials who are better prepared to solve problems and better represent their constituents’ interests.
He also points out the differences between primary runoffs and ranked choice voting. On the surface, they sound similar, however, they work differently.
Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates by preference. In the absence of a majority winner, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, lifting the next-preference choices on the ballot. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority.
As The Center Square recently reported, Rep. Christopher Rabb, D-Philadelphia, is drafting legislation that would institute its use in municipal elections, and the Forward Party – which has included Pennsylvania as one of the battleground states it will focus on making inroads into – is also advocating its use.
Alternatively, a runoff election would be held if a candidate did not receive at least 50% of the vote in a primary. A second, or “runoff” election would then be held between only the top two candidates.
“If we want better results, we need better candidates. And if we want better candidates, then we need a system that’s designed to help better candidates win,” said Aument.
Currently, ten states use primary runoff elections: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Vermont. Vermont holds runoffs only in the event of a tie and South Dakota uses them for the offices of governor and U.S. senators and representatives.
