To the editor,

George Washington condemned partisanship in 1796. He warned “The alternate domination of one faction over another” would have venomous consequences. Today, it seems we all agree the system is broken, but cling to partisanship as a solution, rather than a source of toxicity. Even if we replace all current legislators, the system will remain broken.

Instead of replacing people, we need to reduce partisanship. Final Five Voting (FFV) does this. The partisan primary is a major source of divisiveness. FFV eliminates partisan primaries and their corresponding “safe seats.”

Around 20% of all Wisconsinites vote in August primaries, meaning primary candidates often only appeal to a small subset. When primary winners advance to the general election, they often compete in safe districts. They have no incentive to reach out to voters across the aisle.

FFV primaries are nonpartisan primaries, forcing candidates to address everyone. In FFV, the top five candidates from the primary advance to the general, regardless of party. Voters have five choices – not just two – which they rank in order of preference. The candidates who once won primaries on negativity and coasted to general election victories must be civil if they want to be someone’s second choice.

Washington didn’t just warn us about partisanship, he tasked us with preventing it. Visit gro-wwaction.org to learn more or to sign up to attend a Final Five Voting-themed house party.

Maureen Ash

Town of River Falls