How Closed Primaries Disproportionately Impact Latino and Asian Voters

Open Primaries Virtual Discussions Series returns Friday April 29th 3pm (ET) with How Closed Primaries Disproportionately Impact Latino and Asian Voters, a discussion of groundbreaking new research coming out of the University of Southern California that shows conclusively that closed primaries depress not just primary participation but general election participation, and that they disproportionately impact POC, especially Latino and Asian voters.

Latinos and Asians are the two largest demographics of registered independents, and operate nothing like other demographics–much to the consternation of both political parties. As the fight for “the Latino vote” heats up ahead of the 2022 midterms and outreach to Asian voters remains myopic, both parties continue to struggle to understand these key groups of voters. This research exposes how closed primaries are depressing their turnout in elections and can help broaden the conversation on voter suppression in the U.S. today. We highly encourage you to join this discussion:

The discussion will feature: USC research authors Professor Christian Grose and Raquel Centeno. Grose is Academic Director of USC’s Schwarzenegger Institute and has published more than forty peer-reviewed articles, chapters in edited volumes, and policy reports in his 25 year career. Centeno is currently a PhD student in Political Science at USC. The Zoom will also feature Danny Ortega who is an OP Spokesperson, attorney & the Former Board Chair of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino nonprofit advocacy and civil rights organization in the country. He speaks frequently about the impact closed primaries have on Latino participation, representation, and empowerment. Finally, it will be hosted by Open Primaries President, John Opdycke.

We encourage you to check out the report and register for the conversation today!