# Plain Language Summary: CLEAN Elections Act

This bill makes two major changes to how elections work in America. First, it requires every state to use independent commissions—groups of regular citizens who aren't politicians—to redraw congressional district lines instead of letting politicians do it themselves. Currently, politicians in many states draw their own districts in ways that favor their party, a practice called gerrymandering. Under this bill, these independent commissions would have equal numbers of members from the two major parties and couldn't include elected officials, making the process more neutral and fair.

Second, the bill requires all states to hold "open primaries" for federal elections like races for Congress and President. Right now, many states only let registered Democrats vote in Democratic primaries and registered Republicans vote in Republican primaries. Open primaries would let any registered voter participate in any party's primary election, regardless of their party affiliation. This means independent voters and people from the opposite party could help choose candidates, potentially leading to more moderate candidates winning nominations.

For state and local elections, the bill takes a softer approach—states aren't required to use independent commissions or open primaries for those races, but they lose federal funding for election administration if they don't. This creates an incentive for states to adopt these practices without forcing them. The practical effect would be that districts are drawn more fairly based on where people actually live rather than political advantage, and primary elections would be more inclusive, potentially reducing the influence of the most extreme party members in selecting candidates.

CLEAN Elections Act

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Citizen Legislature Anti-Corruption Reform of Elections Act or the CLEAN Elections Act This bill establishes requirements for nonpartisan redistricting and open primary elections. States must (1) conduct congressional redistricting using a plan developed by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission, beginning with the 2020 census; and (2) hold open primaries for federal elections. A state may not use federal funds provided for election administration purposes unless it certifies to the Election Assistance Commission that it (1) conducts redistricting for its state legislative districts using a plan developed by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission, and (2) holds open primaries for elections for state and local office.