Can I Vote Republican If I'm Registered Democrat

Primary Elections in Idaho

Showtime in 2011, a law went into effect that restricts an elector to voting only in the chief election of the political party for which he or she is registered, unless a party notified the Secretary of State in writing that the political party elects to allow additional voters (unaffiliated voters and/or voters registered with another party) to participate in the party's primary election. (See Idaho Code § 34-904A.)

The Purpose of Chief Elections

The purpose of chief elections in the Land of Idaho is to allow members of a recognized political party to select that party's nominees to become on the full general election election. Primary elections ofttimes are referred to every bit "party primaries".

As a result of a federal courtroom decision in Idaho Republican Party five. Ysursa, the 2011 Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 351 implementing a closed primary arrangement. Persons who are not members of a political party may not participate in the selection of that party's nominees. However, Idaho law does allow the political parties the selection of opening their master elections to "unaffiliated" voters and members of other political parties if they so choose. The party chairman must notify the Secretary of Land half-dozen months prior to the main if the political party intends to open it'southward primary election to those exterior the party.

So in primary elections, unless the party chooses to permit others outside the party to participate in its chief election, only registered voters of a political party may vote to select their party's nominees. In other words, at master elections, registered Republicans may vote only for Republican candidates, and registered Democrats may vote only for Democratic candidates. Persons who are registered as "unaffiliated" (meaning not affiliated with any party) may not vote for partisan candidates in principal elections unless the party decides to allow them. However, an unaffiliated voter may affiliate with a party up to or on Election Day and vote in that party'southward election. Independent candidates appear on the election only at the general ballot.

Electors can designate their party affiliation with the Autonomous, Republican, Constitution or Libertarian Political party or select no party affiliation (Unaffiliated) in any of the following ways:

Fill out a new Voter Registration Card
Fill out a Party Affiliation Annunciation form

In that location are elections on nonpartisan issues scheduled to be held in conjunction with primaries, such as judicial elections, bond or levy elections or possibly country or local question elections. All registered voters are entitled to vote on nonpartisan bug during primaries.

Party registration requirements have no effect on general election procedures. At general elections, all voters receive exactly the same ballot and may vote for any candidate whose name appears on it, without regard to the political amalgamation of the candidate or the voter.

Irresolute Party Affiliation (§ 34-411A, Idaho Lawmaking)

For a main election, an elector may change their political party affiliation or become "unaffiliated" past filing a signed class with the county clerk no afterwards than the last day a candidate may file for partisan political part prior to such primary ballot, as provided for in Idaho Code § 34-704.

An "unaffiliated" elector may affiliate with the party of the elector's choice by filing a signed grade up to and including ballot twenty-four hours. The application form for an absentee ballot described in Idaho Code § 34-1002, may likewise be used for this purpose.

An "unaffiliated" elector may affiliate with the party of the elector's choice on or before election 24-hour interval, by declaring such political political party affiliation to the poll worker. The poll worker shall so tape in the poll book the elector's choice. After the chief ballot, the county clerk shall record the party affiliation so recorded in the poll book as part of such elector's record inside the voter registration organization as provided for in Idaho Code § 34-437A.