Civic · 6 pages · 12 min

Why a closed primary changes who picks the candidate

A closed primary lets only enrolled party members choose that party's nominee.

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From the opening

In a closed primary, the voter roll records a party enrollment, and only those enrolled members receive that party's primary ballot. The mechanism keeps the choice of nominee inside the membership the party has already listed. The opening covers enrollment opens the ballot, outsiders stay off that list, and the selectorate gets narrower.

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Inside

Enrollment opens the ballot
Outsiders stay off that list
The selectorate gets narrower
Deadlines freeze who belongs
Where the idea stops applying
A distinction worth keeping

Sources

Closed primary enrollment
Party membership selectorate

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Why a closed primary changes who picks the candidate

From the opening

Inside

Sources

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