What is Blanket Primary?

Definition and meaning of blanket primary: A blanket primary is a type of primary election in which all candidates for a particular office, regardless of their party affiliation, appear on the same ballot. Voters in a blanket primary can choose candidates from different political parties for the selected office rather than being restricted to voting for candidates within a single party. However, only the top vote-getter from each participating party can advance to the general election. This system is designed to give voters more freedom and flexibility in their choices, potentially leading to higher voter turnout.

The blanket primary system has faced legal challenges. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in California Democratic Party v. Jones that California's blanket primary system was unconstitutional. The Court found that the system violated political parties' First Amendment right of association by forcing them to allow non-members to participate in their candidate selection process.

Variations of the blanket primary, such as the "top-two" primary system, also known as “jungle primaries” or nonpartisan primaries, are used in states like Alaska, California, and Washington. However, the Washington State House has since modified that law under HB 1750. Voters in Alaska passed an initiative in 2020 that uses a “top-four” system in primaries and a ranked choice voting system for general elections in statewide and congressional races. 

These systems differ from blanket primaries in that all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the top two or four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. 

The blanket primary system has both supporters and critics. Proponents argue that it encourages voter participation and competition because voters can choose the best candidates regardless of party affiliation. Blanket primaries also prevent cases of two candidates from the same party advancing to the general election, which can occur under top-two primary systems. Critics, however, contend that it can lead to vote splitting and weaken party loyalty, potentially resulting in less cohesive party platforms.

Learn more about blanket primaries and their impact on the electoral process on our blog.