Top-four primary

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A final-four or final-five primary is an electoral system using a nonpartisan primary by multi-winner plurality in the first step.[1][2]

The Final-Four Voting system was first proposed by businessmen Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter in a 2017 report entitled "Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America".[3] It was first advocated by FairVote in 2012.[4][5] FairVote proposed a statutory model in 2015.[6]

It was first used in the 2022 Alaska special election. In the first round of the general election, Republican votes were split between first-rank preferences for Sarah Palin and Mary Peltola, creating a spoiler effect known as a center squeeze.[7][8][9] Nick Begich III was eliminated first (although he had received a higher number of votes in the blanket primary than either of the remaining two candidates.)[10][11][12][13] In the final runoff, Begich voters transferred their choices to Palin and Peltola, and Peltola won. Despite Begich's greater overall popularity, Palin's second-choice votes were not allowed to transfer to Begich (which would have allowed Begich to win the election).

A top-four primary can be seen as a variation of a two-round system, in which the second round (general election) is always held, even if a candidate gains a majority in the first (primary) round. A candidate receiving 20% of the primary vote is logically guaranteed to pass a top-four primary.[14] One variation, called Final Five Voting, allows five candidates to pass the open primary.[15]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference afbe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Missouri Top-Four Ranked Choice Voting Elections for Local, State, and Federal Officials Initiative (2022)".
  3. ^ Gehl & Porter (September 2017). "Why Competition In The Politics Industry Is Failing America" (PDF). Harvard Business School. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Fixing Top Two in California The 2012 Elections and a Prescription for Further Reform
  5. ^ Top Four FairVote August 2013
  6. ^ "FAIRVOTE'S 2015 POLICY GUIDE: MODEL STATUTORY LANGUAGE".
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Top Four Why Top Four Gives More Voice to Voters (FairVote)
  15. ^ "Final-Five Voting".