What is an Open Primary Election?
An open primary is a primary election in which voters may cast votes on a ballot of any party. This distinguishes it from a closed primary, another type of primary election in which voters are limited by party affiliation. A related concept, the blanket primary, allows voters to vote for candidates of any party. The United States is one of the only nations in the world which uses a primary system, and the issues and advantages of the open primary are often a subject of debate in American politics, especially during election season.
An open primary is a primary election in which voters may cast votes on a ballot of any party. This distinguishes it from a closed primary, another type of primary election in which voters are limited by party affiliation. A related concept, the blanket primary, allows voters to vote for candidates of any party. The United States is one of the only nations in the world which uses a primary system, and the issues and advantages of the open primary are often a subject of debate in American politics, especially during election season. In a primary election, voters indicate their preference for a candidate of a particular party to advance to the race for an office. For example, a voter might indicate his or her support for Green Party candidate X over all the other potential Green Party candidates. If that candidate wins enough votes at the primary, he or she will compete against candidates from other parties. The primary system is most commonly used for Presidential elections, because it