Closed primary

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A closed primary is a type of primary election used to choose candidates who will run in the general election.[1]

In a closed primary, only voters registered for the party which is holding the primary may vote. For example, if the Republican Party is holding a closed primary, then only voters registered as Republicans are permitted to vote in the primary.[2]

In some states, parties may have the option to invite unaffiliated voters to participate in a closed primary. Generally, unaffiliated voters will not be permitted to participate in a closed primary unless they choose to give up their unaffiliated status.[3]

Nominees for elected offices at all levels are chosen by party organizations in a variety of ways, including primary elections, caucuses, and conventions. The precise method of choosing nominees can vary significantly between states, and even within states for different offices. For example, nominees for state-level offices may be selected at primaries or conventions, while presidential nominees may be chosen by delegates selected at primaries or caucuses.

Usage

Presidential primaries and caucuses

See also: Important dates in the 2016 presidential race

The states listed below utilize closed primaries/caucuses for presidential nominating contests.[4]

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California (Republicans only)
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho (Republicans only)
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oklahoma (Republicans only)
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Dakota (Republicans only)
  • Utah (Republicans only)
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

Correlations with 2016 primary and caucus winners

The tables below correlate the winners of each 2016 nominating contest with the type of contest (open, closed, or mixed). Hillary Clinton outperformed Bernie Sanders in open Democratic primaries and caucuses, winning 13 of 23. Donald Trump similarly outperformed his rivals in open Republican contests, winning 13 of 18. Meanwhile, Clinton won 17 of the 26 closed Democratic primaries and caucuses. Trump won 19 of the 28 closed Republican contests, edging out Ted Cruz, who won eight closed contests (Marco Rubio won the remaining closed contest).

Winners of 2016 primaries and caucuses correlated with primary type
Candidate Open contest Closed contest Mixed contest Total
Democrats
Clinton 13 17 4 34
Sanders 10 9 3 22
TOTALS 23 26 7 56
Republicans
Trump 13 19 4 36
Cruz 2 8 0 10
Kasich 1 0 0 1
Rubio 2 1 0 3
TOTALS 18 28 4 50

For a full list of primaries and caucuses by winner and contest type, click "[show]" on the table below.

Congressional primaries

As of January 2016, the states below utilized a closed primary process for congressional elections. Variations are noted in the text alongside each state name. Note that the type of primary utilized for congressional elections in a given state may differ from the type of primary conducted for presidential races. For information about presidential primaries, see below.

  • Colorado: Unaffiliated voters can declare party affiliations at the polling place.
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware[5]
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida[6]
  • Idaho (Republicans only)
  • Iowa: Voters may change party affiliations on the day of an election.
  • Kansas: Unaffiliated voters may choose a party the day of the primary, but may not vote in the primary and remain unaffiliated.[7]
  • Kentucky[8]
  • Maine[9]
  • Maryland
  • Nevada[10]
  • New Jersey: Newly registered voters may choose a party at the polls.[11]
  • New Mexico: Parties may choose to hold semi-closed primaries by changing party rules, but as of January 2016, primaries were closed.[12]
  • New York[13]
  • Oklahoma (Republicans only)
  • Oregon: According to FairVote, "the primary remains closed for the presidential and legislative elections. However, as of February 2012, the Oregon Republican Party voted to open the Republican primary to unaffiliated voters for the offices of secretary of state, attorney general, and treasurer."[14]
  • Pennsylvania[15]
  • South Dakota (Republicans only)
  • Utah (Republicans only)
  • Wyoming: A voter may change party affiliation on election day.[16]

Arguments for and against

Proponents of closed primaries argue that they preserve a political party's freedom of association and prevent members of other parties from "crossing over" to influence the nomination of an opposing party's candidate.[3][17]

Critics of the closed primary system argue that it exacerbates radicalization, as candidates must cater to a party's base, which is sometime more extreme, rather than the political center. Voters who participate in primaries are often dedicated party regulars to whom candidates must appeal to win the primary. Once emerging from the primary, candidates often must change the focus of their campaigns to appeal to a broader electorate.[3][2]

Critics also argue that because the closed primary often excludes unaffiliated voters, they are disenfranchised from choosing a possible nominee.[2]

See also

Presidential Elections-2016-badge.png

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica, "Primary Election," accessed November 6, 2013
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wise Geek: "What is a closed primary?" accessed November 6, 2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed November 6, 2013
  4. ↑ FairVote, "Who Can Vote in Presidential Primaries?" accessed March 9, 2016
  5. ↑ State of Delaware, "Del. Code Ann. § 3110," accessed January 11, 2016
  6. ↑ Florida Senate, "Fla. Stat. Ann. § 101.021," accessed January 11, 2016
  7. ↑ Kansas Legislature, "Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 25-3301," accessed January 11, 2016
  8. ↑ Kentucky Legislature, "Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 116.055," accessed January 11, 2016
  9. ↑ Maine Legislature, "Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 21, §§ 111, 340," accessed January 11, 2016
  10. ↑ Nevada Legislature, "Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 293.287, 293.518," accessed January 11, 2016
  11. ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "N.J. Stat. Ann. § 19:31-13.2," accessed January 11, 2016
  12. ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "N.M. Stat. §1-12-7.2," accessed January 11, 2016
  13. ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "N.Y. Elec. Law § 5-304," accessed January 11, 2016
  14. ↑ Oregon Legislature, "Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 247.203, 254.365," accessed January 11, 2016
  15. ↑ Pennsylvania General Assembly, "25 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 2812," accessed January 11, 2016
  16. ↑ Justia, "Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 22-5-212," accessed January 11, 2016
  17. ↑ MTV Rock the Vote, "Terms and Definitions," accessed November 6, 2013
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This article is curated by the Public Policy Desk:
 Jerrick Adams • Sarah Groat • Taylor Kempema • Adam Vaughn
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