ABSTRACT

In an era of increasing partisan polarization, it is hard to find an issue that would unite not only Democrats and Republicans but Libertarians as well. In the 2004 election, however, Washington State voters managed to do just that: They passed Initiative 872, which established a “top-two” primary for all statewide elections. In a top-two primary, all voters—regardless of political party affiliation—receive a ballot that includes the names and self-proclaimed partisan affiliations of all of the candidates for office. The two candidates who receive the most votes then face off in a later “general election.”