New Survey: California voters still satisfied with the current Top Two system but open to improvement
All eyes are on California as votes are tallied in this week’s primary election. A new survey conducted by AlphaRoc for Better Choices for Democracy finds that about half of registered California voters say they are satisfied with the current Top Two election system, while one-quarter are dissatisfied. The survey also finds that voters support advancing more candidates to the general election.
“With a Top Three system, California can preserve what voters like about open primaries while improving the choices voters have on the ballot in November,” says Wes Holliday, UC Berkeley Professor and Better Choices for Democracy Board Member.
Under the current system, all candidates appear on the same primary ballot, all voters may participate, and the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party. Overall, 49% are very or somewhat satisfied, while 23% are somewhat or very dissatisfied. Notably, satisfaction is higher among younger voters, including 58% of voters ages 18–29 and 65% of voters ages 30–44, as well as among men (63%), Latino voters (57%), Black voters (53%), and Republicans (58%). Dissatisfaction is higher among voters 65 and older (38%), women (26%), white voters (27%), college graduates (29%), and Democrats (35%).
Despite overall satisfaction, voters express high levels of concern about candidate choice and representation. 72% say it is a problem that voters do not have enough meaningful choices; 70% say it is a problem that general elections can leave voters choosing between two candidates who do not fully represent them; and 68% say it is a problem that candidates can advance even if most voters would have preferred someone else. These concerns cut across party lines: for example, the share saying voters do not have enough meaningful choices is 76% among Republicans, 66% among Democrats, and 75% among independents. The strongest concern overall is that candidates pay too much attention to special interests. 76% of voters identify special interests as a problem, including 75% of Republicans, 77% of Democrats, and 74% of independents. Concerns regarding choice and representation are also high, suggesting that this is not just a narrow partisan complaint.
"California's primary illustrated the dynamics voters flagged in our survey — concern about strategic voting, limited choices, and candidates advancing without majority support. What's notable is that support for allowing three candidates to advance is both strong and consistent: 53% in favor, with opposition nearly flat across party lines at 19-20%. That kind of uniformity across partisan groups is rare, and it suggests this is less an ideological question than a structural one about how elections work,” says Michael Recce, Founder and CEO, Alpharoc, Inc.
Better Choices for Democracy proposes Top Three for California: maintain the open, all-voter primary but advance the top three vote-getters to the general election, where they will be compared head-to-head by voters. The survey shows that support for advancing three candidates to the general election is substantially higher than opposition. 53% of surveyed California voters support advancing three candidates, compared to only 19% who say they are opposed. Support for Top Three exceeds opposition across every major subgroup shown, including Republicans (58% support and 19% oppose), Democrats (52% support and 20% oppose), and independents (47% support and 19% oppose). Support is especially high among voters under 45, including 73% of voters ages 18–29 and 63% of voters ages 30–44, as well as among men (60%), college graduates (65%), Latino voters (57%), and Republicans (58%).
The survey suggests California voters want more and better choices in the general election. Returning to partisan primaries is not an option: partisan primaries disenfranchise independent, third-party, or otherwise unaffiliated voters, of whom there are nearly 7 million in California. As of December 2025, 29.9% of California voters are registered as “No party preference” or “Other” party affiliation. All voters, regardless of party affiliation, should have a say in choosing the candidates that advance to the November election.
“We need an election system that ensures California voters have better choices and better representation,” says Carah Ong Whaley, executive director of Better Choices for Democracy, a nonpartisan organization. “It’s time to level up California’s election system. Top Three keeps California’s all-voter primary and improves what happens next.”
Learn more about how Top Three for California works: https://top3forca.org/.
