Primary Elections: What They Are and How They Work

States hold local primary elections before the presidential election. During primary elections, voters and party officials choose candidates for the general election. Primary elections are essential to the American democratic process, but each state handles them differently.

This page provides an overview of primary elections and how they work. If you have questions about your state’s primary system, talk to a local voting civil rights attorney. 

What Is a Primary Election?

Primary elections are political party elections to select the party’s nominee for the general election. They can start with several candidates. After state primaries, the political parties nominate the candidate at the national convention.

Depending on the state, the party nominee can be the candidate with a majority of the votes or the most votes. In majority delegate states, candidates go through a runoff election if there is no majority (more than 50%).

Which States Have Primaries and Caucuses?

States generally use a primary or caucus system to select their party nominees for president. A caucus is a meeting of political party representatives to coordinate policies and nominate the party’s candidates. Early party nominations for the president used party caucuses. However, since then, most states have switched to primaries to nominate their candidates.

A few states still use the caucus system for presidential nominees. These include:

• Iowa
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• Wyoming

For example, in Iowa, voters gather in caucus meetings to nominate representatives. During the presidential election, Iowa voters gather to vote for each caucus. The Iowa caucus is the first of the presidential primary season, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada.

Different political parties may also have a different nomination process for presidential candidates.

What Are Open and Closed Primaries?

Different states have different types of primaries, which impact who can vote in primary elections. Some states list all candidates on the same primary ballot, regardless of party. Other types of primaries include closed and open primaries.

In closed primaries, states only allow registered party members to vote in the party’s primary. Other states have open primaries where all registered voters can participate.

For example, New York has closed primary elections. In New York, only registered Republican party voters can vote in the Republican primary. Unaffiliated voters cannot participate in the Republican or Democrat primaries.

South Carolina and Texas have open primaries. An unaffiliated voter in Texas can vote in either the Republican or Democrat primary. Generally, voters cannot vote in more than one primary.

Another option is semi-closed primaries, in which unaffiliated voters can choose the party primary to vote in. Voters who select a party affiliation only get to vote in their party’s state primary. Political parties decide whether to let unaffiliated voters participate in a semi-closed primary. However, in a semi-open primary, an unaffiliated voter’s selection acts as registering with the party.

Voters can select their political party affiliation when they register to vote. Voters are not required to pick a party, but it can affect whether they get to vote in their state’s primary election. You can update your voter registration information if you want to change political parties.

What Happens at Presidential National Conventions?

After the primary elections, party delegates generally gather at the national party convention. For example, Republican delegates attend the Republican Party National Convention. Democratic delegates attend the Democratic Party National Convention.

Typically, the candidate with the most delegates gets the party’s nomination for presidential nominee. The delegates will choose the party nominee if no candidate receives a majority. That candidate will appear on the presidential election ballot.

All eligible voters can participate in the presidential election. On Election Day, all voters make their selection for president, regardless of party affiliation.

Can Candidates Oppose the Party Candidate?

When the sitting president is up for re-election, they are usually a party favorite before any primary elections. However, another candidate can challenge the nomination of the incumbent president. This is a primary challenge. However, primary challenges are not common. The political parties generally have strong support behind the incumbent president.

How Can You Make Sure You Can Vote in a Primary Election?

Not every eligible voter can vote in state primary elections. Depending on your state, you may have to be registered with a political party to vote in your state’s primary.

To ensure your vote is valid, check to see if you are registered to vote and that all your information is up to date. You can update your voter information if you did not select a party. Contact your local election officials for more information about the voting process.

Ask an attorney for legal advice if you have questions about your voter rights. If election officials are denying your right to vote, contact a local civil rights attorney.