On Election Day, voters in six states weighed in on measures to enact either top-two, top-four, or top-five primary elections. These “jungle primaries” list all candidates, regardless of party, on the same primary election ballot. Most of the measures would also implement ranked-choice voting in the general election. Every single one was defeated.

The results are a cautionary tale for liberal groups in Oklahoma that have planned to put such a measure on the ballot here in 2026.

There are many different kinds of primary elections. The original purpose of primaries is to allow party members to vote to choose candidates to represent them in the general election.

Oklahoma gives political parties the option of either an open or closed primary. In a closed primary, voters must have already identified with a party to vote on that party’s nominees. In an open primary, voters choose which party’s primary they will vote in on election day. Recently in Oklahoma, Republicans have opted for a closed primary and Democrats have used an open primary.

A group called Oklahoma United has said it will push a ballot measure for top-two primaries in 2026. In such a system, sometimes called a jungle primary, political parties and their members have no say over which of their candidates are on the general election ballot. Instead, all candidates appear on one ballot in the primary. All voters can vote for one candidate on that list. The top two advance to the general election. 

A top-two primary system was on the ballot this year in South Dakota. Just 34 percent of voters supported it, while 66 percent of voters opposed it. (And South Dakota is almost, but not quite, as “red” as Oklahoma.)

Idaho voters similarly crushed a top-four primary and ranked-choice general election scheme, with 70 percent of voters saying “no.” Other states rejecting similar schemes include Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and Nevada. And while the election has not yet been called, it seems Alaska voters will repeal the top-four primary and ranked-choice general system that passed narrowly there in 2020.

As voters in all these states discovered, there are many reasons to oppose jungle primary schemes. They often lead to candidates from just one party advancing to the general election. Candidates can “win” a top-two primary with very small pluralities (rather than the majority now required) if many candidates run. Minor parties completely disappear. Political parties lose power, which shifts to individual donors and outside groups.

For all these reasons, a top-two primary proposal in Oklahoma would likely meet the fate of this year’s many similar ballot measures.