The Spring Primary is Tomorrow – Go Vote!
The Wisconsin Spring Primary is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 18th. It might not seem as exciting as the Presidential Election that will happen in November, but primary elections also matter. It’s where you pick who will be available on the final ballot and it’s the only way to ensure you have a representative candidate moving forward into the subsequent main election.
Here are more reasons why you should go vote in the primaries:
- With fewer people voting, every vote carries more weight.
- Primaries separates the stronger candidates from weaker ones.
- Primaries can feature ballot measures that need to be voted on.
- Primary voters are, generally speaking, older and whiter. They aren’t terribly representative of the full voting population.
- Primary voters are also more partisan than general election voters, which is how fringe candidates end up in the general.
- Voter turnout at primaries help determine where campaigns and parties will put more (or less) effort towards the general election. More voting often means more attention and resources.
- Even if your favorite candidate loses the primary, if s/he gets a good percentage of the votes, there is a good chance the winning candidate will adopt some of their platform to appeal to the broader group of voters.
- Every time you vote, it becomes more of a habit.
- Vote in the primary because it is one part of being in a participatory democracy. It’s your right. Use it.
Mark your calendars:
- Feb 18: Wisconsin Spring Primary
- April 7: Wisconsin Presidential Primary
- Nov 3: Presidential Election
Make sure you are registered: https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/
Find out who is on your ballot: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/PreviewMyBallot