Post #4339250

2026-07-31 21:54 UTC

okay, perhaps a silly question. When Americans talk about elections, they talk about people being Registered republicans or democrats or independant. As a Canadian, I don't understand this. We have multiple political parties and I can choose to be a member of any or none of them but that has no impact on how I vote in an election or which ballot I get or anything. so I don't get it. Most people here are not a member of any party. I think a very small percentage of the population actually takes out a party membership in any party. I think one might have a rule that you can't be a member if you hold a membership in another party but not even sure about this. This is just a concept I don't get.

Replies (1)

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social 2026-08-01 08:45

@bmoore123@tweesecake.social OK, this answer is probably too long, but your question appeals to the political nerd in me. If Canada has any political parties where their leadership is elected by members rather than just members of the caucus, then that’s really the same as what we in America call a closed primary. You have to be a member of the party in order to choose the candidate who will contest the election on your party’s behalf. But there are other methods too. In an open primary, any registered voter can participate in either party's primary, regardless of their own registration status. This can lead to some strategic fun in some cycles. For example, if supporters of one party think that their candidate will have a better chance against a specific individual from the other party, they might turn up for the other party’s primary and vote for the candidate they think is more beatable. It’s a gamble though, because you can only vote in one primary. So if you take the risk, you lose the right to vote in the election for the party you actually support. Then there’s a style called a semi-closed Primary. Registered party members must vote in their own party's primary, but unaffiliated/independent voters are allowed to choose a party ballot. In a nonpartisan election, all registered voters receive the exact same ballot listing all candidates from all parties. The top vote-getters advance to the general election. If a state allows party discretion, then each political party can decide each election cycle whether to allow unaffiliated voters into their primary. If, at this point, you’re sorry you asked the question, I don’t blame you, so I’ll stop.

Open ##4339249