Who Can Vote In Primaries

• Democrats hold : Closed Primary

• Republicans hold : Closed Primary

   

  A primary election is an election in which a political party nominates its candidates for an upcoming general election. The rules for voting in primary elections vary from state to state. In Pennsylvania: You must be registered and enrolled in a political party to vote in that party's primary.

  All registered voters are entitled to vote on Constitutional amendments, ballot questions and in all special elections that might be held at the same time as a primary election.

   

  About Closed Primary

Only voters registered with a given party can vote in the primary. Parties may have the option to invite unaffiliated voters to participate. Typically, however, independent voters are left out of the process entirely unless they choose to sacrifice their freedom of association for the opportunity to have their say in who represents them. Closed primaries may also exacerbate the radicalization that often occurs at the primary stage, when candidates must cater to the "base," yet the "fringe" of the party are typically more motivated to turn out.

 

States holding Closed Primaries:

Alabama ,Connecticut ,Delaware ,Florida ,Idaho ,Illinois ,Indiana ,Iowa ,Kansas ,Kentucky ,Maryland ,Maine,Nevada ,New York ,New Jersey ,New Mexico ,Oregon ,Oklahoma ,Pennsylvania ,South Dakota ,Utah ,Washington DC ,Wyoming