A new round of redistricting is reducing the number of competitive House seats. That means congressional primaries matter more than ever. The problem is 80% of voters don’t participate in them.
- The vast majority of House districts are drawn so only one party really has a chance of victory.
- Primaries will take on added importance this year but four in five voters historically sit them out.
- Groups are trying to boost primary turnout by advocating for a more voter-friendly format.
WASHINGTON – The 2020 election was a pretty lopsided affair when it came to Congress. Nearly eight of every nine House seats represented a district so red or so blue that only one party had a legitimate shot to win it.
It’s about to get worse.
The number of seats considered competitive is on pace to be just one in 18 – instead of one in nine – meaning the vast swath of Americans who vote only in the November midterms won’t have much of a say on whom they send to Capitol Hill.
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