Often called the election before the election, primaries are underway across the U.S. to determine who will appear on November’s general‑election ballot. Though they draw less attention, these contests—especially congressional primaries—are pivotal, shaping Congress for the next two years and, in many districts, effectively deciding the winner long before November. With turnout hovering around just 20% of eligible voters, a small slice of the electorate ends up wielding outsized influence, proving that primaries don’t just shape the ballot—they shape the outcome.
- Before Americans vote in November, there’s another election most people pay less attention to, and it’s unfolding right now: primaries
- Sometimes called the election before the election, primaries are used across the U.S. to determine which candidates will appear on the general election ballot in November.
- There are many important races happening right now, but congressional primaries tend to draw the most attention, because they ultimately shape the makeup of Congress for the next two years.
- So… how do primaries actually work?
TYPES OF PRIMARIES
- Most primary elections are used to determine each political party’s candidate for the general election. So, instead of Democrats and Republicans competing against each other, candidates within the same party face off to become their party’s official nominee.
- BUT, not all primaries work the same way, and this is where things can get a little complicated.
PARTY PRIMARIES
- Across the U.S., 47 states use what’s known as a Party Primary system
- But, even within this system, there are different rules about who can vote
CLOSED PRIMARIES
- 16 states use CLOSED PRIMARIES for their congressional races
- In a closed primary, only voters who registered with a political party have a guaranteed right to vote in that party’s primary.
- This would mean that independent voters are barred from participating
- However, parties can establish a rule allowing independent voters to register with a party on the day of the election or by a specific deadline to vote. To date, only Democratic Parties across 5 states have adopted this rule; no Republican parties allow it.
OPEN PRIMARIES
- Open primaries are the most common system, used in 31 states for congressional elections
- In open primaries, “ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS, INCLUDING INDEPENDENTS, CAN VOTE IN ONE PARTY’S PRIMARY ELECTIONS.”
- You don’t need to be registered with that party, but you can only participate in one party’s primary at a time.
- But let’s dig deeper.
- In many states (20), all registered voters can choose which election they would like to participate in.
- This system gives voters the most flexibility
- In 15 of these states, voters choose their party primary on election day, BUT this choice then affiliates them with that party
- The other 11 states have a hybrid system, called a semi-open party primaries
- In this system, independent voters can choose which primary to participate in, but voters registered with a party must stick to that party’s contest.
OPEN ALL CANDIDATE-PRIMARIES
- Finally, three states, Alaska, California, and Washington, use Open All-Candidate Primaries
- In this system, all candidates appear on one ballot, regardless of political party, and ALL voters participate in the same primary election
- Instead of selecting party nominees, the primary simply determines which candidates advance to the general election
- CA and WA use a Top 2 system, in which the top two vote-getters advance to November.
- Alaska uses a Top 4 system, where voters rank candidates and, if needed, an instant runoff is held to ensure there is a majority winner.
- One advantage of OPEN ALL CANDIDATE PRIMARIES is that every voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation, and the eventual winner must secure majority support.
WHY PRIMARIES MATTER
- In many parts of the country, congressional districts tend to lean heavily toward one political party over the other. Analysts suggest that more than 90% of congressional races will be decided in the primary.
- This means that the most competition really happens during the primary, where you get to vote for who will represent your district in Congress.
- Voter turnout is also historically low for the primary elections. Data suggests that only about 20% of the American electorate votes in these elections. That means that a smaller group of voters can end up deciding which candidate makes it onto the final ballot - and in some cases, who ultimately represents them in Congress.
- In sum, primaries don’t just shape the ballot - they shape the outcome of the election itself.
- YouTube youtu.be
Britton Struthers-Lugo is a journalist and visual storyteller. She currently works as a Digital Content Producer across The Fulcrum and The Latino News Network.
