# How can I leave my membership in a political party? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360 "2020-04-08T17:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/1 "2020-04-08T17:02:18Z")
Have searched and searched an cannot find a way to leave the Democrat Party. I only joined to vote in primary elections. But now no more primaries, so I would like to leave. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/2 "2020-04-08T17:12:05Z")
Depends on where you live: [Change Your Voter Registration | USAGov](https://www.usa.gov/change-voter-registration) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/3 "2020-04-08T17:12:14Z")
Where ever you can register to vote you can change your party affiliation, Independent is one of the options if you don’t want to specify a party. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/4 "2020-04-08T17:29:15Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Depends on where you live: [How to update or change your voter registration | USAGov](https://www.usa.gov/change-voter-registration) Yes i see the words How to change party affiliation, following links and still nothing. They do not make this easy ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/5 "2020-04-08T17:45:43Z")
What state are you registered to vote in? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/6 "2020-04-08T17:47:21Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Yes i see the words How to change party affiliation, following links and still nothing. They do not make this easy ?? It’s no harder than registering in the first time (probably even easier now that it can be done online in most states). No different than if you’re reregistering because you moved. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/7 "2020-04-08T17:49:11Z")
And other than changing some statistics an individual leaving a political party has no effect. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/8 "2020-04-08T17:49:24Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Yes i see the words How to change party affiliation, following links and still nothing. They do not make this easy I see from your profile you are in Maui. If that’s where you vote, you should be make changes [here.](https://olvr.hawaii.gov/) Before someone else does, I will note that the name of the party is “Democratic Party,” not “Democrat Party.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/9 "2020-04-08T17:50:31Z")
Right, as **CookingWithGas** ’ post suggests, what state it is affects how streamlined or red-tapey is the process. BTW, OP, in your state, are the state primaries separate from or simultaneous with the Presidential primaries? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/10 "2020-04-08T18:48:33Z")
For anyone wanting to “leave” a political party for voting purposes, watch out if you’re thinking of going independent. There is an American Independent party, and they get a lot of people who really wanted to register as “no party preference.” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/11 "2020-04-08T19:00:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > And other than changing some statistics an individual leaving a political party has no effect. Don’t some states require you to vote, at least for some elections, for a candidate from the party you’re registered with? I always assumed they do that so people that, for example, want a republican president, don’t attempt to get the worst democratic candidate to the general election in an attempt to move people over to their side. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/12 "2020-04-08T19:08:32Z")
It looks like Hawaii does not register party affiliation. [https://www.openprimaries.org/states\_hawaii](https://www.openprimaries.org/states_hawaii) [https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/VR-Form-English-20191210-website.pdf](https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/VR-Form-English-20191210-website.pdf) Congratulations, OP, you are not affiliated with the Democrat Party. There’s nothing for you to do. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/13 "2020-04-08T19:13:29Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Don’t some states require you to vote, at least for some elections, for a candidate from the party you’re registered with? > I always assumed they do that so people that, for example, want a republican president, don’t attempt to get the worst democratic candidate to the general election in an attempt to move people over to their side. Some states do have closed primaries, but in no state is there anything stopping anyone from changing their affiliation every election cycle, and other than possibly affecting which primary you’re allowed to vote in, there’s absolutely no practical consequence for the individual voter from being a registered member of one party or another… ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/14 "2020-04-08T19:13:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I see from your profile you are in Maui. If that’s where you vote, you should be make changes [here.](https://olvr.hawaii.gov/) > > Before someone else does, I will note that the name of the party is “Democratic Party,” not “Democrat Party.” I’ve been there, I can change my address or email, but leave a party affiliation, I cannot see. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/15 "2020-04-08T19:35:28Z")
You should write her a text explaining that “bby we need mo ( ) n r relationship and xplor mo opts” and then ghost her with a “new fone, ho dis?” response if she won’t stop mailbombing you with donation requests. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/16 "2020-04-08T19:36:31Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > I’ve been there, I can change my address or email, but leave a party affiliation, I cannot see. I see what the problem is. As Ravenman pointed out, the board of elections is not who registers party affiliation. You actually have to join the party itself. [Here’s the party website.](https://hawaiidemocrats.org/join/) > [@](#): > > In most states citizens choose their party affiliation when registering to vote. In Hawaiʻi this is not the case! An individual must first register to vote, and then independently join their party of choice. There doesn’t seem to be a simple way to unjoin. You may have to contact them directly [here.](https://hawaiidemocrats.org/about-2/contact/) ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/17 "2020-04-08T19:39:53Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I see what the problem is. As Ravenman pointed out, the board of elections is not who registers party affiliation. You actually have to join the party itself. [Here’s the party website.](https://hawaiidemocrats.org/join/) > > I joined a month ago. Attempting to unjoin > > There doesn’t seem to be a simple way to unjoin. You may have to contact them directly [here.](https://hawaiidemocrats.org/about-2/contact/) Thx, Sent them a message asking how… ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/18 "2020-04-08T19:46:25Z")
I’ve never joined a particular party, either formally through making a donation or through registering to vote. I always stay unaffiliated when registering. I therefore have the choice of which primary I wish to vote in. I have donated money to specific candidates in the past and as a result get on various mailing lists and robocall lists. Which I hate. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/19 "2020-04-08T20:04:02Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Yes i see the words How to change party affiliation, following links and still nothing. They do not make this easy You should contact the Democratic Party to ask how to leave. They undoubtedly will have good advice on streamlining the process. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360/20 "2020-04-08T20:15:17Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I’ve never joined a particular party, either formally through making a donation or through registering to vote. I always stay unaffiliated when registering. I therefore have the choice of which primary I wish to vote in. That varies between states. Some states require you to be registered as a member of the party to vote in its primary, others have open primaries in which anyone can vote. (You can vote in the general election whether or not you are registered in any party.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-leave-my-membership-in-a-political-party/851360.md?page=2)