Open primaries are a mechanism for selecting candidates for public elections in which all citizens can vote, not just party members.
- Comparative:
- Advantages:
- Eliminates party control over selection;
- Provides candidates with real support, not arranged;
- Creates constant pressure on parties to propose credible people.
- Why do parties oppose?
Because they lose their monopoly.
They can no longer impose inept loyalists. They can no longer eliminate internal rivals. They can no longer control the outcome in advance.