Civic · 6 pages · 12 min

How a primary differs from a general election

A primary chooses a party's nominee, while a general election chooses who holds the office.

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From the opening

A primary is an election inside a party, or a qualifying round, that decides which names will appear as that party's choices later. A general election is the round in which those nominees, and sometimes independents, compete for the office itself. The opening covers primary names the nominee, general fills the office, and the voter pool can change.

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Inside

Primary names the nominee
General fills the office
The voter pool can change
A win is not the office
Where the idea stops applying
A distinction worth keeping

Sources

Direct primary election
General election for office

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How a primary differs from a general election

From the opening

Inside

Sources

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