primary elections

    A primary election is an election to decide on the candidates who will run in the "real" election. Each political party holds its own primary. The Republicans have a primary, and the Democrats have a primary. To vote in a primary election, you must be registered with the party holding the election. To vote in the Republican primary, you must have registered as a Republican when you registered to vote. To vote in the Democratic primary, you must have registered as a Democrat when you registered to vote. If you registered as an unaffiliated voter, you may not vote in either primary. You may change your party affiliation at any time by contacting the voter registration office near you.