More than half of American voters believe that the system U.S. political parties use to pick their candidates for the White House is “rigged” and more than two-thirds want to see the process changed, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The results echo complaints from Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders that the system is stacked against them in favour of candidates with close ties to their parties — a critique that has triggered a nationwide debate over whether the process is fair.
The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries that gives voters any say in who should make it onto the presidential ballot. But the State-by-State system of primaries, caucuses and conventions is complex. The contests historically were always party events, and while the popular vote has grown in influence since the mid-20th century, the parties still have considerable sway. One quirk of the U.S. system — and the area where the parties get to flex their muscle — is the use of delegates, party members who are assigned to support contenders at their respective conventions.
