closed primary

American  

noun

1. a direct primary in which only persons meeting tests of party membership may vote.

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closed primary British  

noun

1. government a primary in which only members of a particular party may vote Compare open primary

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closed primary Cultural  

1. A type of direct primary limited to registered party members, who must declare their party affiliation in order to vote. The closed primary serves to encourage party unity and prevent members of other parties from infiltrating and voting to nominate weak candidates. (Compare open primary.)

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Etymology

Origin of closed primary

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Compare meaning

How does closed-primary compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• open primary vs. closed primary

Example Sentences

New Mexico has a closed primary system that limits participation to voters who register with major parties, leaving out Independent or unaffiliated voters, but not Libertarians.

From Seattle Times

Pennsylvania holds closed primary elections, meaning that someone must have been registered as a Republican or a Democrat by April 8 to have voted in the primary for that party.

From Seattle Times

WHO CAN VOTE: New York has a closed primary system, which means only Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary and only Republicans may vote in the Republican primary.

From Seattle Times

“The move to a closed primary system could cost more and reduce voter choice,” said the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, in a statement.

From New York Times

Connecticut has a closed primary system, meaning that only registered Democrats may participate in Tuesday’s special primary.

From Seattle Times