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Many states require party registration to vote in primary elections, and in states like California the primary is the only election that realistically matters.
by _--__--__ 1y ago
Many states require party registration to vote in primary elections, and in states like California the primary is the only election that realistically matters.
- dragonwriter 1y agoThese are combined as if they go together, but: (1) California does not require party preference to vote in primaries generally; (2) California primaries are not (except for the Presidential primary) party nominating elections, they are essentially the open first-round of a two-round general election. (Basically, it is majority/runoff except that there is always a runoff even with a first-round majority.) (3) For the Presidential primary, California does not require party registration to vote, but does prohibit party-registered voters from voting in cross-party primaries; it is the party (not the state) the decides whether their primaries are open to “no party preference" voters (of the six parties with permanent ballot access in California, the Republican, Green, and Peace & Freedom parties do not allow NPP voters in their presidential primaries, while the Democratic, Libertarian, and American Independent parties do allow them.)