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Most elections today are decided in the primary, the election generally with the lowest voter turnout. As a result, a small minority of voters decides the vast majority of elections.
Expanded Participation Primaries
Maryland is one of nine states with closed primaries. Only voters registered with one of the two principal parties may participate in these taxpayer-financed contests.
This means that Maryland’s unaffiliated voters, more than 1 in 5, are locked out of these important elections. Other states accommodate all their voters through a variety of different election types, including:
Semi-Closed
Unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in either closed major party primary
As used in: New Hampshire, Colorado
Semi-Open
All voters are allowed to vote in either closed major party primary
As used in: Virginia, Minnesota
All-Participation
All voters can vote for
any candidates in one all-inclusive primary
As used in: Louisiana, Alaska
One state combines an all-participation primary with an RCV general election: Alaska.
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