The National Plan

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Summary

Jonathan Soros proposed this plan in an op-ed in The New York Times in 2007. We've taken to calling it "the national plan" because it involves a national primary in every state at once --except the polls are open for five months.

How it Works

The National Plan sets a primary date of June 30, and polls open on January 1st. Voters can cast their ballots any time before the primary day, and each month the results are released. In this way, voters can watch as the election unfolds, with ample time for deliberation and reconsideration.

Rather than rely on the traditional early states as the first barometers of success for presidential candidates, the first voters under the National Plan would be self-selecting. Highly motivated and passionate voters would vote the earliest, while others could wait till the end. States like New Hampshire and Iowa would remain relevant throughout the primary.

A plan that treated all states equally would drive voter participation, but also diminish the advantage the strongest fundraisers would have under a single-day national primary.

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