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Most People Don't Vote in Primaries. How Can We Change That?

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A San Francisco resident fills out their mail-in ballot at their home on Oct. 6, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A full transcript will be available 1–2 workdays after the episode’s publication.

Election Day is over, and the votes are being tallied. And while we don’t know what the final voter turnout numbers will be, we do know that most people don’t vote in primaries.

Primary elections aren’t sexy. They never turn out as many voters as a November general election because most people are motivated by national stuff, like presidential races. 

But the issues on a primary ballot, especially locally, are perhaps more consequential to people’s everyday lives. Today, we talk with Mindy Romero, founder and director of USC’s Center for Inclusive Democracy, about the consequences of low primary turnouts, and how to get more people to vote.


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