Editorial: When 20% of Illinois voters decide primary elections, democracy cowers – Chicago Tribune*

Economist Orphe Divounguy argued in a 2021 report that when political maps are drawn to heavily favor one party, it suppresses voter participation because many voters essentially have no alternative to the incumbent or dominant party candidate. “Uncontested and lightly contested elections tend to skew policy in favor of powerful special interest groups at the expense of everyone else,” he said. “This is because low voter participation makes legislators more susceptible to the influence of lobbyists rather than prioritizing the service of ordinary voters.”