Primary election types by state

Primary election

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

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 22 states, at least one political party conducts open primaries for congressional and state-level offices. In 20 of these states, all political parties conduct open primaries.

In 14 states, at least one political party conducts closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. In 11 of these states, all political parties conduct closed primaries.

In 16 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 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.