If I'm a registered democrat, can I vote in the Virginia republican presidential primary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My recent request for mail in ballot in VA required me to choose. That's the first time I recall ever having to check an R or D box in VA.

Was it for a primary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a question. I moved to VA decades ago and never needed to pick a party and could vote in any primary. And I’ve done so. Just this year, when affirming that wanted to vote by mail automatically (so Va mails me a ballot automatically), I for the first time saw that I had to choose R or D (or I I think). Not sure what the change is. Saving on postage?

I don’t think we are allowed to vote in both primaries. It’s not about registering with a party in VA but you have one primary vote.

True for a single election but for each election I pick the primary with the more interesting race. Not sure why the OP cares about the presidential race, with the volume of voting it's the least likely that one vote will make a difference. In this case Trump will likely win by a wide margin, so not really worth the time. If Biden declines to run the Democrat primary will be the one to watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can. I voted for McCain. You will be asked to sign a loyalty pledge.

This is not true. I’m a lifelong Virginian and been registered to vote since I turned 18 (and I’m old). You do not register with a political party nor do you have to sign any loyalty pledge (WITW is that). For a primary, you simply show up and tell them what primary you’re voting in and they will give you the appropriate ballot. You can only vote in one, so if they’re both democrat and republican primaries at the same time you will have to pick.

Crossing party lines happens a lot in Virginia and is a well used strategy. This is how Bratt won the republican primary over Eric Cantor (democrats mobilized in mass and voted in the republican primary for Bratt thinking he would be the easier candidate to beat in the general election). It worked in beating Cantor but then Bratt won the general election.

[Anonymous]

I only can find info about candidates signing party loyalty pledges, not voters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary and (at least at this point) it doesn't seem there will be a meaningful Democrat primary. Can I just show up and ask for the Republican primary ballot in Virginia or do I need to switch my party affiliation to independent or republican to do that?

Serious question: don’t you think this qualifies as election interference? You have no intention of voting for Nikki Hailey in the general election, correct? You just want to make sure she’s the candidate to oppose Biden, who you presumably support?

Does that seem ……..ethical?………to you?


Why give republicans stuff like this to point at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can. I voted for McCain. You will be asked to sign a loyalty pledge.

This is not true. I’m a lifelong Virginian and been registered to vote since I turned 18 (and I’m old). You do not register with a political party nor do you have to sign any loyalty pledge (WITW is that). For a primary, you simply show up and tell them what primary you’re voting in and they will give you the appropriate ballot. You can only vote in one, so if they’re both democrat and republican primaries at the same time you will have to pick.

Crossing party lines happens a lot in Virginia and is a well used strategy. This is how Bratt won the republican primary over Eric Cantor (democrats mobilized in mass and voted in the republican primary for Bratt thinking he would be the easier candidate to beat in the general election). It worked in beating Cantor but then Bratt won the general election.

And then Brat got spanked by Abigail Spanberger, propelling her political career. And she's very likely to be VA's next Governor.

In the long-run, the Dem strategy worked. Extremely well. They flipped a long time GOP seat and are now set to reclaim Richmond in 2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary and (at least at this point) it doesn't seem there will be a meaningful Democrat primary. Can I just show up and ask for the Republican primary ballot in Virginia or do I need to switch my party affiliation to independent or republican to do that?

Serious question: don’t you think this qualifies as election interference? You have no intention of voting for Nikki Hailey in the general election, correct? You just want to make sure she’s the candidate to oppose Biden, who you presumably support?

Does that seem ……..ethical?………to you?

Why give republicans stuff like this to point at?

If Virginia was concerned about this they would have closed primaries like most states do. There’s nothing unethical about being able to vote in the primary in which you have a strong preference, no matter which one it is. And it gives independents an option when they don’t have one in states with closed primaries.

Also I’m not OP but I think you’re mistaken regarding his or her motives. Most Virginians don’t support Trump and it’s best to try to stop him wherever you can. Recall that Marco Rubio won the 2016 Virginia primary and that was with a competitive Democratic primary.

[Anonymous]

It just seems deceitful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It just seems deceitful.

No it doesn’t. Go find real problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can. I voted for McCain. You will be asked to sign a loyalty pledge.

This is not true. I’m a lifelong Virginian and been registered to vote since I turned 18 (and I’m old). You do not register with a political party nor do you have to sign any loyalty pledge (WITW is that). For a primary, you simply show up and tell them what primary you’re voting in and they will give you the appropriate ballot. You can only vote in one, so if they’re both democrat and republican primaries at the same time you will have to pick.

Crossing party lines happens a lot in Virginia and is a well used strategy. This is how Bratt won the republican primary over Eric Cantor (democrats mobilized in mass and voted in the republican primary for Bratt thinking he would be the easier candidate to beat in the general election). It worked in beating Cantor but then Bratt won the general election.

And then Brat got spanked by Abigail Spanberger, propelling her political career. And she's very likely to be VA's next Governor.

In the long-run, the Dem strategy worked. Extremely well. They flipped a long time GOP seat and are now set to reclaim Richmond in 2025.

Start your own thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just seems deceitful.

No it doesn’t. Go find real problems.

Using the tactics of losers IS a real problem.

Remember Limbaugh coming up with “operation chaos” to damage Hillary in the primaries in 08? I do. Were yo7 even old enough to vote then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It just seems deceitful.

No it doesn’t. Go find real problems.

Using the tactics of losers IS a real problem.

Remember Limbaugh coming up with “operation chaos” to damage Hillary in the primaries in 08? I do. Were yo7 even old enough to vote then?

Stop smoking so much weed.

[Anonymous]

I think some of Biden's underperformance is that he really wants Trump to win the nomination. He thinks Trump will be easier to defeat, and doesn't want to do anything to take him down.

But that's a heck of a gamble. Like Trump DeSantis would probably open up the camps. Haley's terrible also but I don't think she's so likely to embrace Putin's "managed democracy" model. So if you think Biden's taking too much of a chance with Trump, voting Haley would be a hedge. But Trump would have to be so distasteful that you're willing to see a different Republican win the Presidency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary and (at least at this point) it doesn't seem there will be a meaningful Democrat primary. Can I just show up and ask for the Republican primary ballot in Virginia or do I need to switch my party affiliation to independent or republican to do that?

Yes you can! Very easy to switch party reg online. I do it all the time depending on the importance of a particular primary. It is the for everyone to have a voice. This cycle anyone who truly cares about this country should register as a Republican. If it really bothers you , switch to something else as soon as you have voted. Party registration is not some immutable characteristic. I don’t know why some people act as if it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can. I voted for McCain. You will be asked to sign a loyalty pledge.

Wrong. No loyalty pledge.