Open And Closed Primaries

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Primary elections are an important part of the United States’ voting system. These elections serve to weed out the unpopular candidates and the provide the electorate with a smaller ballot when the general election comes around. That being said, there are more than one ways in use in order to achieve these goals; every State participates in either an open or a closed primary. Both classifications have their benefits, and there is considerable controversy pertaining each form. Although both open and closed primaries get the job done, both types of primary elections are distinct, thus having distinct ups and downs. In a closed primary, “only declared party members can vote. The primary is closed to all but those party members.” The more popular…show more content…
As a result, the open primary has also been called “the crossover primary,” as inspired by the fact that a Democrat can participate in a Republican primary and vice versa. Open primaries are by no means widespread; they can only be “found in fewer than half the States.” Perhaps the most distinct benefit of an open primary is the fact that “independent votes are not excluded from the nominating process,” as they are in closed primaries, however indirectly. Open primaries also succeed in maintaining the secrecy of the ballot and tend to result in an overall increase in government productivity. The reasoning behind this effect revolves around the philosophy that the candidates voted into office are preferred by the electorate as a whole despite their party; for this reason, it is far more likely that the elected candidates will get along to some degree. However, these advantages are not at all without their disadvantages. Indeed, a common criticism of the open primary is that it seemingly encourages party raiding, as defined prior. Furthermore, open primaries threaten freedom of association and tend to compromise party loyalty as a

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