When it comes to election cycles, certain wonky phrases hit headlines and airwaves so much, they become recognizable in name alone. One of those phrases is "closed primaries," but what exactly does it mean?
In a closed primary, only voters registered with a particular political party can participate in that party's primary election. This means that independent voters, or those registered with a different party, are excluded from the process.
New York is one state that has faced criticism for its closed primary system. As an independent voter in New York, one person stated, "I'm shut out of primary elections in New York where only party members have a say. New York is intent on disenfranchising voters like me."
So why do closed primaries exist in the first place? The main argument for closed primaries is that they allow political parties to have more control over their nomination process. By limiting participation to registered members of the party, the party can ensure that its nominee truly represents the views and values of its members. Additionally, closed primaries can prevent "party raiding," where voters from one party register as members of another party just to sway the outcome of that party's primary.
However, closed primaries have also been criticized for their potential to exclude a large portion of voters. In states where one party dominates, the closed primary can effectively shut out independent voters who may have no voice in the ultimate outcome of the election. Critics also argue that closed primaries can lead to more extreme candidates being chosen, as the primary electorate is often more ideologically driven than the general electorate.
Despite these criticisms, closed primaries remain in place in many states. In fact, the Idaho Republican Party recently adopted a rule intended to limit crossover voting in Republican primaries at its winter meeting. The resolution pushing for closed primaries passed with 81% of the vote and now heads to the legislature for consideration.
Idaho isn't the only state considering further restrictions on primary voting. Florida's closed primary system has been criticized for silencing no-party-affiliation voters. One person wrote, "Florida's closed primary silences no-party-affiliation voters. I'm writing to all of the people changing their voter registration to No Party Affiliation (NPA) to request that you switch to Democrat or Republican for the August 28th primary election."
But not all states have closed primaries. Pennsylvania, for example, has what's known as a "semi-closed" primary system. In a semi-closed primary, independent voters can choose which party's primary they want to participate in on election day. Registered members of a party, however, must vote in their own party's primary. In an op-ed in PennLive, one writer argued for the benefits of a semi-closed primary system: "Why we have them, why they are the way they are — and how they might change to allow more people to vote in Pennsylvania."
As for Nevada, voters there will soon have the chance to weigh in on a ballot initiative that could dramatically reshape the way elections are conducted in the state. Question 3, as it's known, would establish a "top-two" primary system, where all candidates, regardless of party, would appear on the same primary ballot. The two candidates with the most votes would then advance to the general election.
In the end, the debate over closed primaries comes down to a fundamental question: who should have a say in the nomination process? Should it be limited to party members only, or should all voters have the chance to weigh in? The answer likely varies depending on who you ask. But as more states consider changing their primary systems, it's clear that the issue isn't going away anytime soon.
