It’s an off-year, and turnout is expected to be low. There’s no Obama, Clinton, or Bush on the ballot. It’s the dead of summer, and no one turns out for primaries. Oh, it’s Hollywood. Yet another special election.
All of those have been justifications in a year that has seen low turnout — sometimes exceptionally so — from coast to coast, be it in Tuesday’s special Senate election in New Jersey, the May Los Angeles mayor’s race, or the June special Senate election in Massachusetts. …
With more and more people detaching themselves from the system, primaries have become increasingly activist-driven, reducing the influence of moderates — especially in closed primaries where only Democrats or Republicans can vote — and allows for greater influence by moneyed outside groups. [cont.]
Domenico Montanaro, NBC News