In primary elections, voters must typically be registered members of political parties to vote for their respective party candidates. However, there are instances when all registered voters, regardless of their party affiliation or non-affiliation, can vote:
-
A Universal Primary occurs when all the candidates for a specific office are from the same party, and there will be no opposition in the general election. In such cases, every registered voter can vote for any candidate in the primary.
-
If nonpartisan items, such as judicial and school board offices, special districts, or local referendums, are on the primary election ballot, all registered voters, including those unaffiliated with a party, can vote on these matters.
In general elections, all voters receive identical ballots, allowing them to vote for any candidate or issue. A space will be available on the ballot for qualified write-in candidates.