Tangle PREVIEW: Will Kaback talks with John Ketcham
Nov 4, 2025
In this insightful discussion, John Ketcham, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, unpacks the intricacies of New York City's closed primary system. He sheds light on the public's desire for primary reform, juxtaposed with political hurdles preventing meaningful change. Ketcham also explains how special interest groups exploit low-turnout elections to solidify their influence. With a critical look at the failed charter revision proposal, he emphasizes the disconnect between public support for reform and political action, revealing a crucial aspect of urban policy.
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Closed Primaries Make Primaries Decisive
- New York City uses a closed primary system where only party-registered voters can vote in primaries.
- That structure makes the Democratic primary the decisive contest given the 6:1 Democrat-to-Republican registration ratio.
Voter Exclusion Is Built Into Rules
- Over 1.1 million unaffiliated New Yorkers cannot vote in primaries and many smaller-party voters are similarly excluded.
- Long party-change deadlines (132 days) further lock voters out compared with states like Florida and Pennsylvania.
RCV Can't Fix Structural Barriers
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV) was adopted in 2019 but was layered onto the existing closed-primary, odd-year system.
- RCV cannot solve problems created by closed primaries and low-turnout off-year elections.