Professor calls for election overhauls

DEKALB, Ill., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- A Northern Illinois University political scientist is calling for a single national primary to help curb voter fatigue.

Professor Matthew Streb argues in his new book, "Rethinking American Electoral Democracy," that a national primary will make voter participation easier for many Americans.

"The national primary season might be entertaining, but it doesn't make a lot of sense," he said in a statement. "It places far too much emphasis on results in early and often less populated states. And it's the only election where we don't all show up on the same day and vote."

Streb's book is due to be out this month. In it, he said a national primary with "instant runoff voting," where voters are asked to rank candidates in order of preference, will ensure a majority winner.

Streb also called for abolishing the Electoral College, eliminating campaign finance restrictions, reducing the number of elections, and using non-partisan redistricting commissions to draw legislative boundaries.

"A central theme in this book is that we shouldn't overburden citizens," Streb said. "Democracy is a good thing, everyone agrees, but more democracy isn't always best."