Today It's Election Day. The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern; live results start then. How to vote Live map
Glossary · Elections

Primary, open and closed

An election in which voters choose each party's nominee. In a closed primary only registered party members vote; in an open primary any voter can choose a party's ballot. A top-two (or top-four) primary puts all candidates on one ballot and sends the leaders to the general election regardless of party.

Related terms

The full glossary →

See an error on this page? Let us know

Accessibility options

These settings are saved in this browser only.

Text size
Display
Reading

Every chart also has a data table. See our accessibility statement.

Ad changes apply from the next page you open.