Primary elections in Tennessee

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Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. Nonpartisan and all-party primaries are used to narrow a wider field of candidates for a nonpartisan office. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election.

The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. This variation has created a number of different types of partisan primary elections. For example, only registered party members are allowed to vote in closed primaries, while registered party members and unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in semi-closed primaries, and all voters are allowed to vote in open primaries.

Primary elections also vary by the way their outcomes are determined. Majority systems require the winning candidate to receive at least fifty percent of the votes cast, while plurality systems do not. In top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries, all candidates are listed on the same ballot, regardless of partisan affiliation.

HIGHLIGHTS

In Tennessee, partisan primaries for congressional offices and state-level officials are open; a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party's primary.

Winners in primary contests in Tennessee are determined by plurality vote, meaning that the candidate with the highest number of votes wins even if he or she does not win more than 50 percent of votes cast.

See the sections below for general information on the use of primary elections in the United States and specific information on the types of primaries held in Tennessee:

1. Background: This section outlines the different types of primary election participation models used in the United States, including open primaries, closed primaries, semi-closed primaries, and top-two primaries. This section also details the various methods employed to determine the outcomes of primary elections.
2. Primary election systems used in Tennessee: This section details the primary election systems employed in Tennessee, including primaries for congressional and state-level offices (e.g., state legislative seats, state executive offices, etc).
3. State legislation and ballot measures: This sections lists state legislation relevant to primary election policy in Tennessee.

Background

Seal of Tennessee.

In general, there are two broad criteria by which primary elections can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction:

1. Rules of participation: In jurisdictions that conduct partisan primaries, who can vote in a party's primary? Is participation limited to registered party members, or can other eligible voters (such as unaffiliated voters or voters belonging to other parties) participate? In general, there are three basic types of primary election participation models: open primaries, closed primaries, and semi-closed primaries.
2. Methods for determining election outcomes: What share of the total votes cast does a candidate have to receive in order to advance to the general election? Methods for determining primary election outcomes include plurality voting systems, majority voting systems, top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries.

For more complete information on these criteria, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

Rules of participation

The rules of participation in primary elections vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (in some cases, different political parties may enforce different participation criteria within a single jurisdiction). In general, there are three basic primary election participation models used in the United States:

1. Open primaries: An open primary is any primary election in which a voter either does not have to formally affiliate with a political party in order to vote in its primary or can declare his or her affiliation with a party at the polls on the day of the primary even if the voter was previously affiliated with a different party.
2. Closed primaries: A closed primary is any primary election in which a voter must affiliate formally with a political party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary.
3. Semi-closed primaries: A semi-closed primary is one in which previously unaffiliated voters can participate in the primary of their choosing. Voters who previously affiliated with a political party who did not change their affiliations in advance cannot vote in another party's primary.

Methods for determining election outcomes

Methods for tallying votes to determine a primary election's outcome include the following:

1. Plurality voting system: In plurality systems, the candidate who wins the largest share of the vote wins the election. The candidate need not win an outright majority to be elected. These systems are sometimes referred to as first-past-the-post or winner-take-all systems.
2. Majority voting system: In majority systems, a candidate must win more than 50 percent of the vote in order to win the election. In the event that no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. For this reason, majority systems are sometimes referred to as two-round systems. Ranked-choice voting is a specific type of majority voting system that may also be used in primary elections.
3. Top-two primaries: A top-two primary is one in which all candidates are listed on the same primary election ballot; the top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to the general election. Consequently, it is possible that two candidates belonging to the same political party could win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election. Top-two primaries should not be confused with blanket primaries or top-four primaries. In a blanket primary, all candidates are listed on the same primary ballot; the top vote-getter from each party participating in the primary advances to the general election. In a top-four primary, all candidates are listed on the same primary ballot; the top-four vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Primary election systems used in Tennessee

Congressional and state-level elections

In 20 states, at least one political party utilizes open primaries to nominate partisan candidates for congressional and state-level (e.g. state legislators, governors, etc.) offices. In 15 states, at least one party utilizes closed primaries to nominate partisan candidates for these offices. In 14 states, at least one party utilizes semi-closed primaries. In 5 states, top-two primaries or a variation are used. These state primaries are a separate entity and are not included in the totals for open, closed, or semi-closed primaries.

In Tennessee, state law stipulates that partisan primaries for congressional offices and state-level officials are open; a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party's primary. Winners in primary contests are determined by plurality vote.

The table below lists Tennessee offices for which parties must conduct primary elections to nominate their candidates.

Elective offices for which parties must conduct primaries to nominate general election candidates
Office	Number of seats
Governor of Tennessee	1
State legislators	132
United States Representatives	9
United States Senators	2
Local officials	Varies by municipality

State legislation and ballot measures

Recent legislation related to primary elections in Tennessee

The table below lists bills related to primary elections that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Tennessee. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Primary systems ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Tennessee ballot measures

Since 2017, Ballotpedia has tracked no ballot measures relating to primary elections in Tennessee.

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See also

• Electoral systems in Tennessee
• Voting in Tennessee
• Primary election

External links

• National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types"
• FairVote, "Primaries"