Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Semi-closed primary
|
|
 |
| Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election administration. |
A semi-closed primary, also known as a hybrid primary, is a type of primary election where voters that are not affiliated with a political party may participate in the partisan primary election of their choice. Voters who are affiliated with a political party are only allowed to vote in that party's primary.[1][2]
Usage
Congressional and state-level elections
In 16 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 uses semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections. Hover over a state for additional details.[1][2]
| 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.[3] |
| 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.[4] |
| Maine | Yes | Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, Section 341 stipulates that an unaffiliated voter may vote in a partisan primary of their choice without enrolling in the party.[5] |
| 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.[6] |
| 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 Mexico | Yes | |
| New York | Yes (Reform Party) | In 2018, the Reform Party opened its primary to independent voters.[7] |
| 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.[8] |
| 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.[9] |
| 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.[10] |
Presidential primaries and caucuses
2024 presidential primaries and caucuses
The maps below detail voter participation rules for the Democratic and Republican parties in the 2024 presidential nominating process.
For information from previous presidential election cycles, click "[Show more]" below.
2020 presidential primaries and caucuses
The maps below detail voter participation rules for the Democratic and Republican parties in the 2020 presidential nominating process. Hover over a state to see additional information.
2016 presidential primaries and caucuses
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 | |
| New Hampshire | Yes | |
| North Carolina | Yes | |
| Oklahoma | Yes (Democrats) | |
| Rhode Island | Yes | |
| South Dakota | Yes (Democrats) | |
| West Virginia | Yes | |
The table below includes state legislation related to primaries introduced during (or carried over to) the current year's legislative session. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
See also
- Primary election
- Primary election types by state
- State primary election types
- Open primary
- Closed primary
- Top-two primary
- Top-four primary
- Blanket primary
- Jungle primary
- Final-five voting
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," May 26, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 FairVote, "Who Can Vote in Congressional Primaries," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 34-904A," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ Kansas Statutes, 'Section 25-3301," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "§341. Unenrolled voter participation in primary elections allowed," accessed June 12, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Section 32-912," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "New York Reform Party Will Hold First Statewide Primary in Which New York Independent Voters May Vote," May 21, 2018
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "Section 26-1-104," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ South Dakota Codified Laws, "Section 12-6-26," accessed June 13, 2023
- ↑ West Virginia Code, 'Section 3-2-5," accessed June 13, 2023
