Facts on Georgia's Primary System
- An open primary system increases voter turnout compared to other closed primary systems in elections. Also, competition between candidates increases because voters are less likely to rely on party platforms when choosing the candidate.
- The main problem with open primaries is that supporters of other parties can place a vote for the candidate in a separate party, with the smallest chance of winning thereby taking away competition and increasing the probability of a general election win for the supported candidate.
- Georgia law does not require a voter to register a political affiliation in order to participate in primary or general elections; however, registration does need to be completed before the voter registration deadline. The Secretary of State website provides information concerning registration deadline dates (see Resources).
