Here's how primary elections work, and how to vote

Spread The Vote is a non-profit that works to help educate and empower voters on the voting and political process. Boing Boing invited the group to help everyone understand how primary elections work, and how you can participate in them if you are an eligible U.S. voter. Sign up for their state-specific voter education packages, which are really an amazing educational resource. —Xeni Jardin

UNDERSTANDING PRIMARY ELECTIONS,from SPREAD THE VOTE.

When most voters think of election day, they likely imagine a general election where they vote to determine which candidate on the ballot will win the position of elected office. However, voters may be less familiar with primary elections. This may explain, in part, why voter turnout is so different for general and primary elections. Thats where Spread The Vote comes in. We want every eligible voter to understand and participate in primary elections because they are such an important element of our democracy.

DID YOU KNOW...

1. Turnout in primaries is notoriously low: in the 2016 presidential race, just over 28% of eligible voters voted in a Republican and Democratic presidential primary election.

This number is shocking compared to the nearly 60% of Americans who were eligible to vote that turned out for the general election. Even though general elections get a lot of attention, primary elections are just as important and are a significant opportunity to make your voice heard.

2. Primary elections, or primaries, are elections where voters choose who will be on the ballot for each specific office in the general election. Read the rest