My Primary Proposal

[ElectionsGuy]

Explanation: We have every single state vote on the same day. These are all primaries (no caucuses), and they can close at whatever times they choose, but every state would have a primary. After the results are added up all throughout the country, a candidate has to get 50% + 1 in order to go on to retrieve the nomination, if not, the next step is a little complicated. Everybody that gets below 1% is automatically eliminated, and the bottom half of the rest of the candidates gets eliminated. If this number of candidates is an odd number, like 11, then the number slightly less than half gets eliminated (5), and the remaining 6 (in this scenario) go on to a 'runoff' a few weeks later to see if one can get 50%. This keeps happening until one candidate gets 50%.

Example: Let's take the current national poll numbers as an example result.

1. Trump: 33.2%
2. Cruz: 20.7%
3. Rubio: 13.3%
4. Carson: 7.8%
5. Bush: 4.5%
6. Paul: 3.0%
7. Kasich: 2.8%
8. Fiorina: 2.2%
9. Huckabee: 2.0%
10. Santorum, Gilmore, and your other <1%'ers (automatically eliminated)

Everybody below Bush is eliminated at this point. Then another runoff happens. I'm going to makeup some results here...

1. Trump: 36%
2. Cruz: 26%
3. Rubio: 20%
4. Carson: 14%
5. Bush: 4%

Then...

1. Trump: 44%
2. Cruz: 33%
3. Rubio: 23%

Then...

1. Trump: 52%
2. Cruz: 48%

I wouldn't expect it to go that far each time, but that's just an example of what would happen with these designed runoffs. A good date for the first nationwide primary date would probably be April or May, enough time between the convention for runoffs if needed, yet it shortens the primary season considerably so that more focus can go towards the general election.

Obviously not perfect, but that's my preferred system of each party electing their nominee. To be clear, obviously its up to the parties to do what they want, so this is more of a pipe dream than anything, but I think its good to be idealistic once in a while. What do you think? Questions and criticism about it are highly welcome.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

What's wrong with ranked ballots?

[Figueira]

Certainly better than what we have now, although that's not that hard.

[muon2]

This would be very expensive to administer. Elections cost a lot from candidate access, to ballot preparation, to voting (early and same day), to counting including overseas ballots mailed in.

It would also take time. LA takes just over 4 weeks between the Nov election and the Dec runoff, and IL uses 6 weeks between municipal primaries and the runoff. Even with a short turnaround the system would have to provide for 4 to 6 months in case there was a large field.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Yeah, if voting went to four rounds like the scenario you've got above, you would be asking people to come out to the polls once every few weeks. That seems crazy.

[ElectionsGuy]

Yeah, if voting went to four rounds like the scenario you've got above, you would be asking people to come out to the polls once every few weeks. That seems crazy.

If you think about it, people already do that anyway. People in Wisconsin vote in April for the presidential primary and local elections, in August for statewide/federal primaries, and November for the general elections. People in Louisiana and Georgia even have the option of going into December or January with a general election runoff. I would also favor expansive early voting so people don't necessarily have to 'come out to the polls' per say, and the scenario in the OP is unlikely.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Why not instead of a runoff, you institute ranked balloting, similar to how a leadership  convention would work. You would save money and probably get higher voter turnout, because of a lack of voter fatigue.

[ElectionsGuy]

Why not instead of a runoff, you institute ranked balloting, similar to how a leadership  convention would work. You would save money and probably get higher voter turnout, because of a lack of voter fatigue.

I like that, my only concern is that it would confuse the American electorate that has gotten used to a certain way of voting for so long.

[Lachi]

I would probably use Preferential voting, that way you are guaranteed to get a majority of votes after preferences.