Which of the following best describes the difference between an open and closed primary?

What is the difference between a Primary and General election?

A Primary Election is held by political parties to select their nominees for the offices to be elected at the upcoming General Election. In a primary, Republicans run against Republicans and Democrats run against other Democrats. And, of course, if other parties qualify to appear on the primary ballot, their candidates run against each other as well. During a Primary voters may choose only one party to vote for.

A regular State Primary Election is held in August of every even year. Special primary elections are held as needed.

The General Election determines which candidates will occupy the offices that are up for election. In partisan races, candidates that were nominated at the Primary election compete for races along with any candidates without political party affiliation.  Nonpartisan races typically appear on the General Election ballot as well, such as judicial, school and library board races. 

A regular General Election is held in November of every even year. Special general elections are held as needed.

From Ballotpedia

A primary election is an election used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. Primary elections can take several different forms. In a partisan primary, voters select a candidate to be a political party's nominee for a given office in the corresponding general election. Nonpartisan primaries are used to narrow the field of candidates for nonpartisan offices in advance of a general election. The terms of participation (e.g., whether only registered party members can vote in a party's primary) in primary elections can vary by jurisdiction, political party, and the office or offices up for election. The methods employed to determine the outcome of the primary (e.g., plurality systems, majority systems, top-two systems, etc.) can also vary by jurisdiction. This article outlines the types of primaries conducted by the Democratic and Republican parties in each state.[1][2]

HIGHLIGHTS

  • In 21 states, at least one political party conducts open primaries for congressional and state-level offices.
  • In 14 states, at least one political party conducts closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices.
  • In 15 states, at least one political party conducts semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices.
  • In 2004, Washington became the first state to adopt a top-two primary system for congressional and state-level elections. California followed suit in 2010. In Nebraska, a top-two primary system is utilized for state legislative elections. Because Nebraska's state legislature is nonpartisan, partisan affiliation labels are not listed alongside the names of state legislative candidates. In 2020, Alaska voters approved a ballot initiative establishing a top-four primary for state executive, state legislative, and congressional elections. The initiative also established ranked-choice voting for general elections for the aforementioned offices and the presidency.
  • Primary election types by state

    Open primaries

    See also: Open primary

    In 21 states, at least one political party conducts open primaries for congressional and state-level offices. The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilizes open primaries for congressional and state-level elections. Hover over a state for additional details.[3]

    States in which at least one political party utilizes open primaries for congressional and state-level elections
    State Open primaries Notes
    Alabama Yes In Alabama, a voter may participate in any party's primary by declaring his or her preference for that party at the polls on the day of the primary election.[4]
    Arkansas Yes N/A
    Georgia Yes N/A
    Hawaii Yes N/A
    Illinois Yes A voter must publicly state his or her affiliation at the polling place in order to vote in a party's primary.[5]
    Indiana Yes Section 3-10-1-6 of the Indiana Code stipulates that, in order to participate in a party's primary, a voter must have either voted for a majority of that party's nominees in the last general election or must intend to vote for a majority of the party's nominees in the upcoming general election. According to FairVote, which classifies Indiana as an open primary state, this provision of the law is unenforceable due to the nature of secret balloting.[6]
    Iowa Yes Section 43.38 of the Iowa Code stipulates that only registered party members can vote in a party's primary. Section 43.42 of the Iowa Code stipulates that a voter may change his or her party affiliation at the polls on primary election day and vote in the primary of a party other than the one to which he or she formerly belonged.[7]
    Michigan Yes N/A
    Minnesota Yes N/A
    Mississippi Yes N/A
    Missouri Yes N/A
    Montana Yes N/A
    North Dakota Yes N/A
    Ohio Yes According to FairVote, a voter can "choose a party affiliation on the day of the election." If a voter has previously participated in another party's primary, he or she can complete a statement at the polling place on the day of the election affirming that the voter is changing his or her partisan affiliation.[3]
    South Carolina Yes N/A
    Tennessee Yes Section 2-7-115 of the Tennessee Code stipulates that a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or her affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party's primary.[8]
    Texas Yes N/A
    Vermont Yes N/A
    Virginia Yes N/A
    Wisconsin Yes N/A
    Wyoming Yes A voter must be affiliated with a political party in order to participate in its primary election. Any voter, regardless of previous partisan affiliation, may change his or her affiliation on the day of the primary.[9]

    Closed primaries

    See also: Closed primary

    In 14 states and the District of Columbia, at least one political party conducts closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilizes closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections. Hover over a state for additional details.[3][10]

    States in which at least one political party utilizes closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections
    State Closed primaries Notes
    Connecticut Yes Section 9-431 of the General Statutes of Connecticut stipulates that only registered members of a political party are entitled to vote in that party's primary, though a party may choose to permit unaffiliated voters to participate in its primary.[11]
    Delaware Yes
    Florida Yes
    Kentucky Yes
    Maine Yes State law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections.[12]
    Maryland Yes State law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections.[13]
    Nevada Yes
    New Mexico Yes
    New York Yes
    Oklahoma Yes (Republican Party; Libertarian Party effective in 2018) Section 26-1-104 of the Oklahoma Statutes stipulates that only a registered member of a political party can vote in that party's primary. The law does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may vote in their primaries.[14]
    Oregon Yes
    Pennsylvania Yes
    South Dakota Yes (Republican, Libertarian, and Constitution parties) Section 12-6-26 of the South Dakota Codified Laws stipulates that a voter who has registered with a political party can only vote in that party's primary. The statute does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primaries.[15]
    Utah Yes (Republican Party)
    Washington, D.C. Yes

    Semi-closed primaries

    See also: Semi-closed primary

    In 15 states, at least one political party conducts semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilizes semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections. Hover over a state for additional details.[3]

    States in which at least one political party utilizes semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections
    State Semi-closed primaries Notes
    Arizona Yes
    Colorado Yes
    Idaho Yes State law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. Unaffiliated voters can affiliate with a party on the day of the election and participate in its primary. Voters who are already affiliated with a political party must disaffiliate no later than the 10th Friday preceding the primary election in order to affiliate with another party and vote in its primary.[16]
    Kansas Yes Section 25-3301 of the Kansas Statutes stipulates that a voter who is already affiliated with a political party can participate only in that party's primary. An unaffiliated voter can declare his or her affiliation with a political party on the day of the election and vote in that party's primary. Previously affiliated voters cannot change their affiliation on the day of the election.[17]
    Massachusetts Yes
    Nebraska Yes Section 32-912 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes stipulates that a voter must be affiliated with a political party in order to participate in that party's primary. The law also permits parties to determine for themselves whether voters not affiliated with the party can participate in the party's primary. These provisions do not apply to elections for Nebraska's nonpartisan state legislature, which employs a two-round electoral system in which the top two vote-getters in the primary face off in the general election.[18]
    New Hampshire Yes
    New Jersey Yes A previously unaffiliated voter can participate in the primary of his or her choice by affiliating with a party on the day of the election. Otherwise, a voter must indicate his or her party preference (e.g., via an updated voter registration) no later than the 55th day preceding the primary in order to vote in that party's primary.
    New York Yes (Reform Party) In 2018, the Reform Party opened its primary to independent voters.[19]
    North Carolina Yes
    Oklahoma Yes (Democratic Party) Section 26-1-104 of the Oklahoma Statutes stipulates that only a registered member of a political party can vote in that party's primary. The law does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may vote in their primaries.[20]
    Rhode Island Yes
    South Dakota Yes (Democratic Party) Section 12-6-26 of the South Dakota Codified Laws stipulates that a voter who has registered with a political party can only vote in that party's primary. The statute does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primaries.[21]
    Utah Yes (Democratic Party)
    West Virginia Yes State law permits political parties to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primary elections.[22]

    Top-two primaries

    See also: Top-two primary

    In 2004, Washington became the first state to adopt a top-two primary system for congressional and state-level elections. California followed suit in 2010. In Nebraska, a top-two primary system is utilized for state legislative elections. Because Nebraska's state legislature is nonpartisan, partisan affiliation labels are not listed alongside the names of state legislative candidates. In 2020, Alaska voters approved a ballot initiative establishing a top-four primary for state executive, state legislative, and congressional elections. The initiative also established ranked-choice voting for general elections for the aforementioned offices and the presidency. The map below identifies states that utilize top-two primary elections. Hover over a state for additional details.

    States that utilize top-two primaries for congressional and state-level elections
    State Top-two primaries Notes
    Alaska Yes (top-four variant) On November 3 2020, Alaska voters approved a ballot initiative establishing a top-four primary for state executive, state legislative, and congressional elections.
    California Yes Implemented as a result of California Proposition 14.
    Nebraska Yes Top-two primaries apply only to nonpartisan state legislative races, in which the top two vote-getters in the primary face off in the general election.
    Washington Yes Implemented as a result of Washington Initiative 872.

    See also

    • Caucus
    • Closed primary
    • Semi-closed primary
    • Blanket primary
    • Top-two primary
    • Open primary

    Footnotes

    1. Ballotpedia staff compiled this information after consulting the relevant state statutes and election agencies.
    2. Louisiana utilizes a two-round electoral system in which the names of all eligible candidates are printed on the general election ballot. If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election, he or she is elected. If no candidate wins an outright majority in the general election, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. This system is sometimes referred to as a jungle primary or majority electoral system. Because it is possible for a candidate to win election in the first round of voting, Louisiana is not categorized by the primary election types listed below.
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 FairVote, "Who Can Vote in Congressional Primaries," accessed August 17, 2017
    4. Alabama Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed November 20, 2019
    5. Illinois Compiled Statutes, "Chapter 10 ILCS 5/, Article 7, Section 43," accessed September 12, 2017
    6. Indiana Code, 'Section 3-10-1-6," accessed September 12, 2017
    7. Iowa Code, "Sections 43.38 and 43.42," accessed September 12, 2017
    8. Tennessee Code, "Section 2-7-115," accessed September 12, 2017
    9. Wyoming Statutes, "Section 22-5-212," accessed September 12, 2017
    10. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," July 26, 2018
    11. General Statutes of Connecticut, "Section 9-431," accessed September 14, 2017
    12. Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Section 340," accessed September 14, 2017
    13. Maryland Election Law Code, "Section 8-202," accessed September 14, 2017
    14. Oklahoma Statutes, 'Section 26-1-104," accessed September 14, 2017
    15. South Dakota Codified Laws, "Section 12-6--26," accessed September 14, 2017
    16. Idaho Statutes, "Section 34-904A," accessed September 14, 2017
    17. Kansas Statutes, 'Section 25-3301," accessed September 14, 2017
    18. Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Section 32-912," accessed September 14, 2017
    19. Ballot Access News, "New York Reform Party Will Hold First Statewide Primary in Which New York Independent Voters May Vote," May 21, 2018
    20. Oklahoma Statutes, "Section 26-1-104," accessed September 14, 2017
    21. South Dakota Codified Laws, "Section 12-6-26," accessed September 14, 2017
    22. West Virginia Code, 'Section 3-2-5," accessed September 14, 2017

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    Which of the following best describes the difference between an open and closed primary?
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    Primary elections policy

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    Ballot access for
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    Ballot access for
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    Ballot access for
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    Which statement best describes the difference between an open and closed primary quizlet?

    Which statement best describes the difference between an open and a closed primary? Only voters who are registered members of a party can vote in a closed primary, while independent voters can vote in open primaries.

    Which of the following describes a fundamental difference between political parties and interest groups quizlet?

    Which of the following describes a fundamental difference between political parties and interest groups? Political parties represent broad arrays of issues, whereas interest groups are more likely to focus on narrow sets of issues.

    What happens in a primary quizlet?

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    Which of the following is a major difference between the Democratic and Republican parties quizlet?

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