Semi-closed primary

Primary election
Primary elections by state
Types of primaries: Closed primary, Open primary, Semi-closed primary, Top-two primary, Blanket primary

A semi-closed primary, also known as a hybrid primary, is a type of primary election in which previously unaffiliated voters may participate in the partisan primary of their choice. Voters who are already affiliated with a political party can vote only in that party's primary.

HIGHLIGHTS

In 14 states, at least one political party conducts semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. In 12 of these states, all political parties conduct semi-closed primaries.

In the 2016 presidential election cycle, political parties in six states utilized open primaries and/or caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process.

Primary elections, 2018

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering primary elections

In November 2018, voters across the United States will go to the polls to elect thousands of public officials, including 6,066 state legislators, 435 United States Representatives, 33 United States Senators, 36 governors, and 162 other state executive officials. Before then, however, a series of primary elections will take place to determine parties' nominees for office — and, more broadly, the direction that the parties will take moving forward. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of these primaries. Select one of the articles listed below to learn more.

• U.S. House primary races to watch, 2018
• U.S. Senate primary races to watch, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2018
• State legislative elections, 2018

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Usage

Congressional and state-level elections

In 14 states, at least one political party conducts semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. In 12 of these states, all political parties conduct semi-closed primaries. 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.

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.
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.
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.
New Hampshire	Yes
New Jersey	Yes
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.
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.
Utah	Yes
West Virginia	Yes	State law permits political parties to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primary elections.

Presidential primaries and caucuses, 2016 election cycle

In the 2016 presidential election cycle, political parties in six states utilized open primaries and/or caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process. The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilized semi-closed primaries or caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process in 2016. Hover over a state for additional details.

States in which at least one political party utilized semi-closed primaries or caucuses for presidential nominating process, 2016
State	Semi-closed primaries or caucuses
Massachusetts	Yes
North Carolina	Yes
Oklahoma	Yes (Democrats)
Rhode Island	Yes
South Dakota	Yes (Democrats)
West Virginia	Yes

Recent legislation

The map below identifies states in which legislation related to the conduct of primary elections has been introduced. Hover over a state to see the precise number of relevant bills introduced in that state. A darker shade of red indicates a greater number of relevant bills. In those states shaded in white, relevant bills have not been introduced. For state-specific details, click a state in the map below or select a state from the drop-down menu beneath the map. A list of state legislation will display, including information about bill status and links to full text. This information is provided by BillTrack50.com. To return to the map, click "Back" in the upper righthand corner of the legislation list.

See below for a complete list of primary systems bills. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

See also

• Primary election
• Open primary
• Closed primary
• Blanket primary
• Top-two primary
• Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
• Ballot access for presidential candidates

Footnotes

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