Defined term

Primary

Primary: Election held to determine which candidate will represent a political party for a given office in the general election.

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Election Administration
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Definition

Election held to determine which candidate will represent a political party for a given office in the general election. Some states have an open primary, while others have a closed or modified-closed primary. Sometimes elections for nonpartisan offices and ballot issues are consolidated with primary elections.

Sources

1
Glossary of Election Terms, U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
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2
EAC Glossary of Terms
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3
EAC Glossary of Election Terms
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