nonpartisan primary
All-candidate first round
A nonpartisan primary is an election in which all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and all voters can participate regardless of their registered party.
The top finishers—usually two—advance to the general election, even if they belong to the same party.
California and Washington use this system: In a nonpartisan primary, two Democrats might face each other in November.
- swing voterPersuadable electorate member
- independent voterUnaffiliated political participant
- ranked-choice votingBalloting with ordered preferences
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
- electronic votingBallot casting by machine
absentee voting · civic engagement · representative democracy · mail-in voting · centrism · voter registration · secret ballot · general election · proportional representation · early voting · consensus-building · legislative oversight · coalition government · grassroots organizing · constitutional amendment · voter turnout
nonpartisan primaryclosed primary
Nomination vote limited to registrants
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