how do primaries work? do i vote for which democrat and which republican are chosen to run against each other?

Question

i live in illinois

Answer 1

We can't answer this question unless we know what state you live in. The primary election laws are different from state to state. In most states you have to register with a party to vote in that party's primary election, but some states have open primary elections in which you can choose which party to vote in when you show up to vote.

In short, check with your county board of elections, unless you live in Louisiana or Alaska, in which case you should check with your parish or borough board of election respectively. Or amend your question to tell us which state you legally reside in.

Answer 2

Primaries vary from state to state. In many states, when you register to vote you must choose whether to be a registered Democrat, Republican, other party, or independant. In those cases, you can only vote in your own party's primary, not in the other party's primary. Hence, if you were a registered Democrat, you could not choose which Republican would be nominated. In many other states, there is no official party registration and you can vote in either party's primary, but you still must choose which party you do wish to vote in: you can't nominate in both party's primary.

And there are a few states which have a "jungle primary." In those states, all candidates appear on the same ballot, with all of the Dems, Reps, and other partys all appearing together. But you can still choose only one candidate to vote for.

So in no state can you ever choose the nominee for both parties. You always have to choose which party you are voting for.

Answer 3

You must be registered as a Democrat or Republican (Independents can't vote in a primary). The Democrats vote for Democrat that they they want to represent their party in the upcoming election and the Republicans vote for their favorite Republican.

Answer 4

Primaries work for the political parties in their respective states. Only party members vote for the nominees to represent them in the national election.

Answer 5

Democrats vote for democrats and Republicans vote for republicans. It depends on how you are registered in most states that determines which ballot you get.