State-By-State
Primary Types + Voter Registration
Map Key
Top-Four Nonpartisan Primary
Jungle Primary
Top-two Primary
Open (Partisan)
Semi-open Primary
Semi-closed Primary
Closed Primary
Click a state for more information.
There are numerous variations of primary election rules which govern voter access. Because there are no unified standards, election law experts themselves often use conflicting terminology to describe the nature of certain primary elections. Below, we have listed the general categories of primaries with short descriptions of the labels we have selected to describe each system as they relate to a voter’s right to participate.
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Partisan Primaries serve the private purpose of selecting a nominee to represent a political party on the general election ballot. In a partisan primary, voters and candidates participate using different ballots for each party, subject to the access requirements generalized below.
A voter cannot participate in the nomination of party candidates unless they are registered members of that party.
A partisan primary system in which a political party has the option, but not obligation, to allow or disallow unaffiliated voters to participate.
A partisan primary system in which a political party must allow unaffiliated voters to participate.
A partisan primary system in which a voter, regardless of his or her party affiliation, can choose to participate in the party primary of their choice.
Primaries that serve the public purpose of narrowing the candidate field for the general election ballot. In a nonpartisan primary, all voters and candidates participate on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation.
All nonpartisan primaries are “open” because no voter or candidate is excluded on the basis of their party affiliation.
In a nonpartisan primary (also known as a voter-nominated primary), all candidates and voters participate on the same ballot and the top vote getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.
A nonpartisan primary advances the top two or more vote getters, depending on the local rules. In California, for example, the top-two candidates advance to the general elections. In Alaska, for example, the top-four candidates advance to the general election.
Often confused with a “top-two” primary, a jungle primary is not actually a primary election. In fact, a jungle “primary” occurs on the same day as the general election, and if a candidate receives 50%+1 or more of the vote, the election is over and that candidate is elected.
In a jungle "primary", only if no candidate gets more than 50%+1 of the vote do the top-two candidates then participate in a head-to-head runoff election.
Voter registration data provided by and in collaboration with L2 Data, a trusted provider of nonpartisan voter data.
Percentages are rounded to the nearest hundredth decimal.
Last Updated: October 01, 2024.
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
Democratic, Republican
Registered Voters: 532,651
Democratic, Independence, Libertarian, Republican
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian Republican
Democratic, Green, American Independent, Libertarian, Peace & Freedom, Republican
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
None currently underway.
Green, Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
None found.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not register with a political party.
The Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the Democratic party to close their currently open primaries.
None found.
None found.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
Voters do not register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not register by political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
None found.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Independent, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
Democratic, Green, Republican
Benisek v Lamone - Challenging the congressional redistricting plan enacted by the Maryland General Assembly following the 2010 Census.
Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Republican
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
Voters do not register with a political party.
Litigation pending. The ACLU filed a challenge on Nov. 2 to Massachusetts’s law that requires voters to register 20 days before an election.
Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Republican, U.S. Taxpayer’s
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, Republican
Voters do not register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Constitution, Libertarian, Republican
None currently underway.
Constitution, Libertarian, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Note: There are only two parties officially recognized by the state of New Hampshire, the Republican and Democratic Parties. All other voters are registered "undeclared."
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Conservative, Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Reform Party, Republican, Socialist
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican, Libertarian
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican, Libertarian
None found.
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican, Independent Party
League of Women Voters Pennsylvania et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania's districts as drawn violate the constitution’s prohibition of partisan gerrymandering
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Green, Independence, Labor, Libertarian, Republican, United Citizens, Working Families
None found.
None currently underway.
Constitution, Democratic, Libertarian, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Constitution, Democratic, Independent American, Libertarian, and Republican
None found.
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Progressive, Republican
None found.
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
None currently underway.
Washington does not have major party status.
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
Voters do not officially register with a political party.
Gill v. Whitford - Partisan gerrymandering case awaiting oral argument before SCOTUS
Democratic, Republican
None currently underway.
Democratic, Republican
None found.
