Primaries and Party Affiliation

You may declare a party affiliation when registering to vote, but you are not required to do so to vote in most elections. However, to vote in a primary election, you must declare a political party. Currently, only the Democratic and Republican parties qualify for primary elections.

A registered voter currently affiliated with a political party who wishes to change their party affiliation must file a Political Party Affiliation Declaration Form 55 days before a Primary Election. You must be able to print this form. If you need assistance or need a form mailed to you, please contact us. Forms must be received by the Commissioner of Registration in your county or your Municipal Clerk by the deadline. Changing your party affiliation after this deadline jeopardizes your ability to participate in a primary election.

A registered voter NOT currently affiliated with a political party may declare their party affiliation up to and including Primary Election Day. This includes declaring in-person at the polls during early voting or on Election Day or by using a Party Affiliation Declaration Form ahead of Election Day.

Once a party is declared, that party affiliation is retained unless the voter files a party affiliation declaration form after the election.

Unaffiliated voters have options for declaring a party depending on method of voting. Once a party is declared, that party affiliation is retained unless the voter files a party affiliation declaration form after the election.

• Unaffiliated voters can declare their affiliation in-person at the polls on Primary Election Day or during the early voting period.
• Unaffiliated voters that are signed up to automatically receive Vote-By-Mail ballots no longer automatically receive Vote-By-Mail ballots for the primary election. To receive a Vote-By-Mail ballot, these voters must first declare a party by filling out a party affiliation declaration form and returning it to the municipal clerk or county Commissioner of Registration by the mail or in-person Vote-By-Mail application deadlines.
• Unaffiliated voters not signed up to Vote-By-Mail that wish to receive a Mail-in Ballot must declare their party and apply for a mail-in ballot by the Vote-By-Mail application deadlines.

A "semi-closed" primary means that you must declare a political party to participate in a primary election, and only declared members of a political party can participate in that party's primary. However, unaffiliated voters can declare a party up to an including Primary Election Day. This means you will only be able to access the ballot for your particular party:

• If you are registered as a Democrat, you can only vote in Democratic primaries.
• If you are registered as a Republican, you can only vote in Republican primaries.
• If you are unaffiliated, you can go the polls during early in-person voting or on Primary Election Day and declare Democrat or Republican and proceed to vote. or you can declare a party and receive a Vote-By-Mail ballot.
• If you are member of a party that is not the Democratic or Republican party (for example, Green, Libertarian, etc), you cannot participate in the Primary Election unless you change your party affiliation prior to 55 days before the election.

No. You can vote for any candidate from any party in a General Election.

Yes, you have the same voting options as in a General Election. Visit our Vote-By-Mail page for more information.