Definition of Presidential Primary
A presidential primary is an American election, run by some states, that allows political parties with ballot access to choose their nominees for U.S. president.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Up until the 20th century, delegates to national party conventions that chose presidential nominees were selected by caucuses or appointed by party leaders. The first primary, spawned by the Progressive movement's efforts to get greater voter participation in the process, was held in North Dakota in 1912.
Open and Closed Primaries
-
An open primary is an election in which all registered voters are allowed to choose a party ballot. A closed primary allows only registered members of a party to participate, although many states allow same-day registration for non-enrolled voters who wish to cast a ballot.
-
Direct and Indirect Primaries
-
A direct primary allows voters to choose candidates directly, whereas an indirect primary allows voters to choose delegates to a national or state convention to represent specific candidates.
Ballot Access
-
State laws regulate which political parties have access to state election machinery to run their party nominating process. These laws create specific conditions to achieve ballot access. In most states, those conditions are met by only the Republican and Democratic parties.
Sequence of Primaries
-
States control the timing of their presidential primaries, despite efforts by national party leaders to create a more orderly process through the use of delegate seating rules.
-
