On the Ballot Primaries and How America Picks Political Candidates (It’s Complicated)
On this episode: Primary season is officially underway in America, and Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to break down what the early 2026 results actually tell us. They dig into how primaries vary widely from state to state — open, closed, jungle, caucus, convention — and why that complexity can leave voters confused when they cross state lines. They also explore how off-cycle elections affect turnout, how an active redistricting cycle is reshaping the playing field ahead of November, and why local and down-ballot races may have more influence over everyday life than the marquee contests dominating the headlines.
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*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.