Process

• A blanket primary differs from an open primary and closed primary in that voters can choose candidates from different parties for different offices. For example, a voter might choose to cast his ballot for a Democratic candidate for sheriff and a Republican candidate for state legislature. In an open primary, voters do not register with a party but are usually given a ballot for the Democratic Party, Republican Party or a third party. The voter then decides with which party he wishes to cast his ballot. In a closed primary, voters register with their political party in advance of the election and vote among their parties' candidates for whom they wish to advance to the general election.
  
  

History

• The state of Washington adopted the blanket primary in 1935. Major political parties immediately challenged the use of the blanket primary, however, the State Supreme Court upheld its use in June 1936. The political parties again challenged the blanket primary in 1978. Alaska eventually adopted an open primary system, and in 1996 California adopted such a system. However, those states have now returned to closed primary elections, following a Supreme Court ruling finding the open primary in California unconstitutional.
  
  

Considerations

• Several criticisms have been made about the blanket primary system. Political parties say such systems discourage party loyalty. The system also allows for tactical voting, with voters potentially choosing a weaker candidate from one party in the primary so that their candidate will have an opponent who is easier to defeat in the general election. The political parties also assert that state-mandated blanket primaries violate their First Amendment right to free association. On the other hand, the blanket primary system is said to encourage voter participation because it allows for fewer restrictions in casting ballots.
  
  

Supreme Court

• In 1996, California began using the blanket primary system. The political parties of the state challenged the law, asserting that a blanket primary took away the political parties' right to free association under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings in 2000 and found that the blanket primary system did violate the First Amendment. The Supreme Court said states could not mandate what system the political parties used to choose their candidates.
  
  

Louisiana

• Louisiana conducts its own type of blanket primary, which has come to be known as a Louisiana primary or Jungle primary. In Louisiana, primary elections are nonpartisan. The two candidates who get the most votes go to a runoff election, unless one of the candidates gets more than half the votes. This means that two Democrats or two Republicans may advance to the second round of voting. The runoff election serves as Louisiana's general election. The federal courts have upheld the constitutionality of Louisiana's system. However, the system cannot be used in the election of presidents, because national party rules do not allow it. In June 2006, the state passed a law that allows congressional seats to be filled under a closed primary system.