Primary systems legislation in the United States, 2023
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| 2023 bills by status/topic: |
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Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election.
The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. For example, only registered party members are allowed to vote in closed primaries, while registered party members and unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in semi-closed primaries, and all voters are allowed to vote in open primaries.
Primary elections also vary by the way their outcomes are determined. Majority systems require the winning candidate to receive at least fifty percent of the votes cast, while plurality systems do not. In top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries, all candidates are listed on the same ballot, regardless of partisan affiliation.
This article presents information about primary systems legislation introduced during or carried over to each state's 2023 legislative session.
For more information about election legislation proposed and enacted in 2023, visit our election legislation tracker.
Primary systems legislation
The table below lists primary systems bills introduced during or carried over to each state's 2023 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.
See also
- Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker
- Ballotpedia's The Ballot Bulletin
- Election laws and legislation in the United States
- Primary systems legislation in the United States, 2022
- Primary systems legislation in the United States, 2021
Footnotes
