Democracy is enhanced by giving voters a real opportunity to vote for and elect representatives who reflect their views. Top Two reduces voter choice and takes us further from that goal. It should be repealed and replaced by elections by proportional representation.

Top Two only allows two candidates on the General Election ballot, increases ‘vote-splitting’ in the primary, drives smaller parties off the ballot, eliminates write-in voting, and makes primary elections more expensive.

I support a full range of parties on the general ballot that reflect the diversity of political viewpoints within California — and an electoral system that allows them all to run candidates and win seats in proportion to their percentage of the popular vote.

To promote fuller and fairer representation, the Green Party supports eliminating Top Two and replacing it with multi-seat districts elected by proportional representation.

Was the wrong resopnse to CA problem, and lsot us an opportunity for cha. Grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.  In a moment where we should have joined democracies….

 

 

California’s failed top two experiment has only made this worse, limiting voters to only two choices in the general election, and making primary ballot access more difficult and expensive. This reduction in choice has led to historically low voter turnout. When fewer eligible voters participate and elect our representatives, the legitimacy and representative nature of our democracy is diminished.

---

My writings and videos on top two

Why jungle primaries – i.e. top two/top four/top five/top ‘x’ – are bad for democracy. By Mike Feinstein, Green Pages, newspaper of the Green Party of the United States. August 2024.

VIDEO: Why jungle primaries – i.e. top two/top four/top five/top ‘x’ – are bad for democracy. Mike Feinstein, Electoral Reforms for an Inclusive Multi-Party Democracy panel, Annual National Meeting of the Green Party of the United States. August 2024

Why California Should Learn from Maine and Not Alaska on Electoral Reform. By Michael Feinstein. Independent Voter Network. December 28, 2020

Garcia vs. Smith III: Cause for Reform. By Michael Feinstein. The Signal – Santa Clara Valley (CA). December 24, 2020

Chad Mayes’ exit from the GOP and the need for electoral reform. By Michael Feinstein. Orange County Register, Riverside Press-Enterprise (CA). January 8, 2020

Despite Close Congressional Races, California Must Change its Election System. By Mike Feinstein. Fox and Hounds Daily (CA).  Monday, November 5th, 2018

Opinion: Top-two voting is undemocratic, but Californians say they support it. They should give other systems a try. By Michael Feinstein. Los Angeles Times (CA). May 25, 2018

Opinion:  Will voters in state Senate District 29 recall representative democracy? By Michael Feinstein. Orange County Register (CA). May 19, 2018

Top Two Malfunctions, Democracy Suffers. By Mike Feinstein. Fox and Hounds Daily (CA).  May 18th, 2018

The Prop. 14 bait-and-switch.By Michael Feinstein. Los Angeles Times (CA). June 5, 2010

Prop 14 is Bad for Smaller Parties, Bad for Democracy Overall. By Mike Feinstein. Fox and Hounds Daily (CA). May 27, 2010

Opinion: Prop. 14 would weaken democracy voter choice. By Michael Feinstein. San Jose Mercury News (CA). May 12, 2010

Green Party of California: Repeal Top Two Elections in California