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VOTING: PRIMARY ELECTION

Being registered with a political party will make a difference when you vote in a primary election.

SUMMARY

If you are registered to vote with a political party, you will be given a ballot for that party in a primary election.

If you are unaffiliated with any party ("decline to state" or "independent"),

• You may request the ballot of the American Independent or Democratic party at the polls on February 5, 2008 or on your absentee ballot request form, or
• You will be given a nonpartisan ballot, containing only the names of all candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures to be voted upon at the primary election.

HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY ELECTIONS

Voters choose (register with) a political party at the time they register to vote. One of the choices is "decline to state" and that voter is "unaffiliated" with any political party.

At a primary election the political parties choose the candidates they will run in the November general election.

In the old "closed" primary system only voters registered in a political party could vote that party's primary ballot. Unaffiliated ("decline to state") voters voted only on whatever measures and non-partisan candidates were on the ballot.

Then the law was changed and at the 2000 Primary election all the candidates from all parties were on one ballot and a voter could choose a candidate from any party. Since then, the court overturned that law.

CURRENT PRIMARY RULES

California now has a "Modified Closed Primary System". Unaffiliated ("decline to state") voters may, if they wish, choose to vote for one party's candidates. The American Independent Party and the California Democratic Party, and the California Republican Party have agreed to let unaffiliated voters vote for their candidates. The Democratic Party and the Republican party will not permit unaffiliated voters to vote for their county central committees. Also, the Republican Party will not let unaffiliated voters select a presidential candidate.

Persons who are currently registered in a political party can vote for candidates of another political party if they reregister in the other party by the deadline which is 15 days before election day.

For additional information see the Secretary of State's page "Decline to State - Voter Information".

An overview of the California political parties (from Easy Voter Guide)