# You need to register as a Republican or Democrat in Order to Vote in the U.S.A? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113 "2009-08-29T02:05:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/21 "2009-08-30T03:40:28Z")
FWIW, I’m a registered Stubborn Independant. (Ok, not really). I voted in the 2008 election. I don’t know if I would be able to vote in the primaries- I decided to sit that one out because I didn’t know jack about the 8 gazillion candidates. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/22 "2009-08-30T04:53:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > According to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=529657) thread. > > That would appear to be the case. Is this really true? If so, I’m flabbergasted. Perhaps even gob smacked! Say it ain’t so! Take it you’re not a U.S. resident. In the U.S., states rule. They make most of the laws, run the schools, certify who can practice law, plumbing, medicine, cut hair, and hundreds of other jobs. They regulate almost everything that takes place entirely within the state. This includes voting too. Each state has its own rules and regulations. 50 states, 50 sets of rules. In most states, the nominees for the Democratic and Republican nominations are decided by party primaries. This is an election to decide who will represent the party in the actual election. That’s right, we have an election to decide who will be in the election. Rules for the primary election are dependent upon the state. In some states, when you register to vote, you register for a particular party (or for independent). This is to decide what primary you may vote in. If you register as a Democrat, you get to vote in Democratic primaries. If you register as a Republican, you get to vote in Republican primaries. If you decide you want to vote in the other party’s primary, you have to change your registration. This is what happened to a lot of people when Obama was running in the Democratic primary. Many Republicans switched their party registration to vote in the Democratic presidential primary. Some states have “open primaries”. That is, all party primaries are open to everyone. In these states, you merely register to vote, and they don’t register your party preference. Just to clarify, you get to vote in one and only one primary, and if there is a run off election in that primary, you can only vote in it if you originally voted in that primary. In many states, the winner of the primary of a particular party is simply presumed to be the winner of the general election. For example, in Texas statewide elections, the winner of the Republican primary is almost always the winner of the general election simply because the Statewide Democratic party is so weak. These states generally have open primaries mainly because the primary election has pretty much replaced the general election. In fact, it isn’t unusual in the U.S. to find non-contested elections for higher office. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/23 "2009-08-30T09:33:27Z")
Hawaii is the only state I’ve lived in that I had to register as something to vote in a regular election and not just a primary. But it didn’t have be Democrat or Republican. There was the Green Party and one or two others officially recognized by the state. Myself, I’ve never belonged to any party and so had to register as an Independent, which I always found amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/24 "2009-08-30T13:03:44Z")
It seems to me that people have thrown in so many confusing side comments that the OP may not realize that his question has been answered in the negative. In _no_ state in the U.S. is it necessary to declare oneself as a Democrat or a Republican to vote in the general elections. What is necessary in most states is that you have to be registered. This means that you have to be on a list of possible voters. When you register to vote, in some states they ask you to pick a party. It is always possible to declare yourself an independent and thus not choose a party. The reason for choosing a party has nothing to do with who you vote for in the general election. You can vote for anyone you want in a general election and it has no relationship with your party registration. The party registration only has to do with the primary election, which (assuming that it occurs at all), is several months before the general election. Each party has several candidates for nomination for the offices which will be voted on in the general election. By voting in the primary election for your party, you help decide which candidate from your party will run in the general election. In some places the candidates are not chosen by primary elections but by caucuses. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/25 "2009-08-30T15:01:46Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Hee hee! Sorry, **Harpo**! Honk, honk. Waaaahhhhh. Honk. :o ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/26 "2009-08-30T16:31:11Z")
Just to explicate one detail that may not have been made clear yet: In the U.S., the state election authorities are in charge of running the primary elections for the political parties. This is why you have to register your party with “the government”. This is in contrast to, say, Canada, where each political party has its own private electoral apparatus in place to choose its leader and its candidates; Elections Canada had very little to do with whether Bob Rae, Stephan Dion, or Michael Ignatieff became leader of the Liberal Party last time around, or whether Rod Bruinooge or Hugh McFayden would stand as the Conservative candidate for Winnipeg South. In fact, to the best of my (admittedly very limited) knowledge, the U.S. is the only country that has the “state” run the primary elections for the political parties. Anyone know of others? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/27 "2009-08-30T16:37:00Z")
Note though that it’s not required that a political party have an election at all. They can choose their candidates through caucuses (local or state meetings) and they will then run in the general elections. In some states for some offices that’s what they do. If they choose their candidates through primaries though, the state runs the elections. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/28 "2009-08-30T16:39:49Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > this did not stop me from voting in the Democratic presidential primary in 2006 They’re moving the primaries earlier and earlier these days… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/29 "2009-08-30T18:40:17Z")
> [@](#): > > In many states, the winner of the primary of a particular party is simply presumed to be the winner of the general election. For example, in Texas statewide elections, the winner of the Republican primary is almost always the winner of the general election simply because the Statewide Democratic party is so weak. These states generally have open primaries mainly because the primary election has pretty much replaced the general election. In fact, it isn’t unusual in the U.S. to find non-contested elections for higher office. On the other side of the coin, some states hold their primaries so late that by the time the primary rolls around, the candidates are already chosen. In 2004, had I voted, I could have chosen between taking a Republican ballot and voting for George W. Bush to be the Republican candidate, or taking a Democratic ballot and voting for John Kerry to be the Democrat candidate. It’s already decided either way, so there’s no point. By contrast, in 2008, McCain had already sewed up the Republican nomination, but Obama and Hillary Clinton were still vying, so most Montanans who voted (even the Republicans) chose a Democratic ballot (we’re an open primary state, like **Mr. Moto** described for Virginia), and voted for who they’d rather see as McCain’s opponent (which might mean they thought that candidate was easier to defeat, or might mean that they preferred that candidate in case the Democrats won). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/30 "2009-08-30T18:52:59Z")
dupe ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/31 "2009-08-30T19:05:30Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Note though that it’s not required that a political party have an election at all. They can choose their candidates through caucuses (local or state meetings) and they will then run in the general elections. In some states for some offices that’s what they do. If they choose their candidates through primaries though, the state runs the elections. In Minnesota, they have both caucuses and primaries. The parties meet in local neighborhood caucuses, (and district conventions and a statewide convention) and choose their _endorsed_ candidate. But if any other person from that same party wants to contest this, then there is a primary election. The endorsed candidate from each major party is automatically on the primary ballot; anyone else can get on the ballot by collecting signatures or paying a filing fee. There is almost always one or more people who run in the primary, especially for higher offices. Most of them are not serious candidates; generally the party endorsed candidates win the primary. But not always – there are usually a few upsets. (In 2008, 100% of the DFL candidates won their primary elections. That was unusual enough to be widely discussed in the party.) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/32 "2009-08-30T19:12:01Z")
Note too that party primaries to determine party candidates for local and state office usually are but need not be identical to Presidential preference primaries intended to determine for whom the state delegation to the national party convention will vote for as the party’s presidential candidate. Separate primaries were held in North Carolina a couple years back to choose county and state legislature and judgeship candidates, and to vote for the presidential candidate. I imagine this is rare but it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/33 "2009-08-30T20:57:59Z")
> [@](#): > > (In 2008, 100% of the DFL candidates won their primary elections. That was unusual enough to be widely discussed in the party.) And to clarify that a bit, “DFL” stands for “Democrat Farm Labor”. In Minnesota, there was a third party called the Farm Labor party, that eventually grew influential enough that they merged with the Minnesota branch of the Democratic party. So now there’s no “Democratic party” in Minnesota, just a “DFL” party. Yet another example of how, in American politics, every state is different. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/34 "2009-08-30T22:08:26Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > They’re moving the primaries earlier and earlier these days… On the off chance you’re not making a joke, midterm elections have primaries too. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/35 "2009-08-30T22:23:02Z")
Yes, but there are no midterm presidential elections. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/36 "2009-08-30T22:46:16Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > They’re moving the primaries earlier and earlier these days… Not in New York. Primary elections are always held in September (9/11/2001 was primary day). In presidential election years, there’s also a presidential preference primary in March or so. But that’s only because the usual primary date would be well after the candidates for president would have been chosen. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/37 "2009-09-02T03:27:14Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > In Ohio you can register as a Democrat, a Republican, a member of any of the minor parties or as an independent. You may thereafter show up on a primary election day and ask for the ballot of _any_ one of the parties, and will remain listed as a member of that party until you ask for another party’s ballot during another primary election. Most people, needless to say, remain listed as a member of a single party for many years, if not throughout their entire lives, due to both political loyalty and inertia. Actually, you don’t have to register as anything. I have never declared a party affiliation, and I’ve voted in nearly every election since 1975. I vote in nearly every primary, but I ask for an issues-only ballot, which means I don’t get to vote to choose a party’s nominees, but I vote for tax levies, etc. In the general election there is no requirement to declare a party, so you can vote for Democrats and Republicans at the same time on the same ballot…just not for the same jobs! My mother is a staunch Democrat…but she has never registered as one, and she is 83. She considers herself a Democrat, but not a member of the Party, as it were. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/38 "2009-09-02T08:48:13Z")
Why on Earth would a state have any interest whatsoever in how a political party decide who is going to represent them in a general election? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/39 "2009-09-02T08:55:59Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Why on Earth would a state have any interest whatsoever in how a political party decide who is going to represent them in a general election? Because in most states the primary elections are conducted by the election authority which also runs the general election, using many public resources, buildings, voting machines, and little old ladies to check your registration and credentials. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113/40 "2009-09-02T09:05:50Z")
That doesn’t really answer my question. I can understand that it might be practical to hire the services of people who now how to conduct an election, but it’s still nobody’s concern but the party itself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-need-to-register-as-a-republican-or-democrat-in-order-to-vote-in-the-u-s-a/508113.md?page=3)