To my U.S. Voters, Please make sure you research and participate in your state's primary election. Primary elections allow for you to vote for the candidate you want on the actual ballot.
For example, if there are 2 democrats running for senator for a state, there is probably going to be one that you prefer over the other. The current political parties have different 'groups' within them, and just because someone is a democrat, does not automatically mean they will do a good job in office. The primaries allows citizens of every state to have a say in who represents the party in the final election on November 3rd, 2026.
The primary election dates vary by state, with some starting in March, and some running as late as September. Primaries typically have low voter turnouts, which is why it is so important that everyone who is able to votes in them.
There are a few types of primaries, which I will list below:
Closed primary - You can only vote in the primary if you are registered Democrat or Republican, and must vote with the party you are registered with (Ex. Registered Democrat votes in the Democratic primary to select the Democrat candidate)
Partially Closed - same rules as above, BUT unaffiliated/independent voters can choose one parties primary to participate in as long as the political party allows it (Ex. Registered Independent votes in the Republican primary to select the Republican candidate)
Partially Open - Voters choose a party when registering, but they can switch their party at the time of voting (Ex. Registered Republican decides to vote in the Democratic primary, and they will now be registered as Democrat after voting)
Open Primary - Any voter can choose which party's primary they want to participate in
Open to unaffiliated voter primaries - unaffiliated/independent voters can choose one parties primary to participate in, but those registered to a political party must vote only in the primary for the party they are registered for
Multi-Party Primary - Everyone votes in the same primary, and the top 2 or 4 candidates are chosen to run on the ballot
Knowing this info can help you choose which party to register for when you register to vote.
Please note, registering as a certain party and voting and that parties primary does not mean you have to vote with them on November 3rd, 2026. Someone can register republican, vote in the republican primary, but still vote for a democrat in the actual Midterm.
The type of primary varies by state, so please check here for your states info.
I also have a voting guide (with each states info) here!