Missouri Voter Registration

On election day, voters choose which party's ballot they want. They don't need to be registered with that party. In most open primary states, this choice is made privately at the polling place.

Better than closed primaries, but still forces voters to pick a party's ballot rather than voting for the best candidate regardless of party.

Voters must register with a party, often weeks or months before the election, to participate. If you're registered as independent or unaffiliated, you cannot vote in either major party's primary.

Closed primaries lock millions of independent voters out of the elections that matter most. In many districts, the primary is the only competitive election.