Primary election: Difference between revisions
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{{Wikipedia|}}
A '''primary election''' is one in which a [[political party]] selects a candidate for a later election by all registered voters in that jurisdiction (''nominating primary''). Primaries are sometimes open only to registered members of that party, and sometimes open to all voters. In open primaries, voters must typically choose only one primary to participate in that election cycle. Louisiana, U.S.A. is an exception. Until 2004 in the state of Washington, U.S.A., this was also not the case, and voters were able to vote in all parties' primaries on the same ballot, though not for more than one candidate per office. This "[[blanket primary]]" was struck down by the United States Supreme Court as violating the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of assembly.
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In the United States, the small state of New Hampshire draws national attention every four years because it has the first U.S. presidential primary. (In 2004, the Washington, DC primary had the distinction of being the first in the nation; however, it was only binding for the Green Party. The Democratic Party's vote in the primary was non-binding, and only 4 of the 9 Democratic candidates were listed on ballots.)
== Types of primaries ==
''Open.'' Voters may vote in primaries of a party of their choice, the choice to be made at the voting booth.▼
''Closed.'' Voters may only vote in a primary if they are registered members of that party.▼
''Semi-open.'' Voters registered with a party may only vote in the primary of their party. Independents may choose which primary to vote in at the voting booth.▼
''Blanket.'' No longer in use, allowed voters to vote in either primary, switching party primaries with each office (Ex. Republican Presidential primary, Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Republican Congressional Primary).▼
▲* ''Open.'' Voters may vote in primaries of a party of their choice, the choice to be made at the voting booth.
''Run-off.'' If no candidate receives a majority (50%) the top two candidates may face-off in a run-off election.▼
▲* ''Closed.'' Voters may only vote in a primary if they are registered members of that party.
▲* ''Semi-open.'' Voters registered with a party may only vote in the primary of their party. Independents may choose which primary to vote in at the voting booth.
▲* ''Blanket.'' No longer in use, allowed voters to vote in either primary, switching party primaries with each office (Ex. Republican Presidential primary, Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Republican Congressional Primary).
▲* ''Run-off.'' If no candidate receives a majority (50%) the top two candidates may face-off in a run-off election.
Other ways that parties may select their candidates include [[caucus]]es and [[political convention|convention]]s.
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