Which type of primary is closed to independents and restricts participation to registered party members?

• A. Closed primary
• B. Direct primary
• C. Open primary
• D. General election

Answer: (A)

Primaries determine who will be the party’s nominee, and the voting rules specify who can participate. A closed primary requires voters to be registered members of the party before the election, so independents or members of other parties cannot participate in that party’s ballot. This keeps the nomination process within the party and prevents cross-party influence. The other types don’t fit as well: an open primary allows any registered voter to participate in a party’s primary, including independents, so it isn’t closed to them; a general election is the final contest open to all voters, not a nominating process limited to party members; a direct primary is a broader term for directly voting for nominees but does not inherently require party registration, so it doesn’t specify the membership restriction described.