Most Americans don’t realize that their most powerful moment as voters isn’t in November — it’s during primary season. Yet primary turnout remains stubbornly low, often hovering around 30% of eligible voters, while general elections see roughly double that participation.
This pattern creates a troubling reality: by the time most people start paying attention to elections, they’re left choosing between candidates who’ve already been filtered through a system dominated by party insiders and well-funded interests. The real decisions have already been made by a small, highly motivated slice of the electorate.
It’s a painful irony that people will take to the streets to protest policies they don’t like, but won’t show up for the elections that could prevent those policies in the first place. We’ve seen this cycle repeat throughout American history — public outrage after the fact, rather than engagement when it counts.
Even now in 2025, despite all our supposed political awareness, most voters still haven’t grasped that waiting for the general election means accepting choices that have been pre-screened and approved by the political establishment. The primary ballot box is where real change begins, where voters can shape their party’s direction rather than simply reacting to it.
The system isn’t broken because people don’t care — it’s broken because they care at the wrong time. When we skip the primaries, we surrender our most fundamental power as citizens: the ability to choose who represents us, not just decide between pre-selected options.
Want real change? It’s simpler than you think: Mark your state’s primary date on your calendar right now. Set a reminder. Show up. That’s it. That’s the revolution.
#PrimaryMatters #DemocracyReform #ShowUpToVote