Primaries:
- Congressional and State primaries: Open partisan w/ partisan registration
- Presidential primaries: Open
PRIMARY ELECTIONS STATE BY STATE
Rhode Island
Registration:
- Voters may or may not choose to affiliate with a political party, however, affiliation with a party is required to vote in primary elections.
- 48% of Rhode Island voters are registered as independent.
Details of voting in congressional and state primary elections:
- Unaffiliated voters may participate in one party’s primary, but this choice makes them registered members of that party.
- In order to disaffiliate, the voter must file a “Change of Party Designation” form. The change takes 90 days to go into effect, but a voter can submit the form at the polling place after casting their vote.