FAQs

Is it legal to vote in another party’s primary?

Yes, this is completely legal. No one can tell you who to vote for, or what party to belong to. Voting for the opposite party is called crossover voting.

Why the primaries?

Fewer people vote in the primaries, so this is where strong Democrat turnout can have an effect. In Republican-dominated states, whoever wins the Republican primary will also win the general election. In the primary, Democrats’ votes will combine with votes from moderate Republicans, so that a more moderate Republican will win. That winner will then be elected to office in the general election.

Will I have to vote Republican in the general election?

No, you can vote for whatever party you like in the general election.

Why should I care about Congress, if Trump still dominates the Republican party?

Much of Trump’s power comes from Republican Congressional members, who think they need Trump’s approval to get elected. Trump tells them what to do about every issue. But if Republican Congressional Members instead owe their election to Democrats and to moderate Republicans, they will respond to what their voters tell them—which will be to turn away from Trump, and to govern responsibly.

If this works, will I have to vote in Republican primaries in future years also?

That’s entirely up to you. If Trumpism and MAGA candidates continue running in your district, you should help defeat them in the GOP primaries, so that your elected representative will govern responsibly.

My state will vote on a US senator in the next election. Should I vote in the democratic primary instead, to help elect my senate choice?

The choice is yours, but at Primary RINO, we still believe it is better to vote against MAGA in the republican primary even if it means missing the democratic primary. This increases the chance that you’ll get a moderate republican congressperson, and not MAGA, to work with your democratic senator. And remember, you can also vote for the moderate senate candidate in the republican primary, which will put pressure all of your state’s senate candidates to be more moderate.

Should I still do this, even if Trump is not president?

Yes! President or not, Trump can dominate Republican politics for as long as Congressional candidates need his endorsement to get elected. If we end that, in Republican-dominated states in particular, much of his power will disappear.

Where can I learn more about crossover voting?

The Atlantic published a helpful article by Jonathan Robinson and Sean Trende titled, “When Your Vote Doesn’t Matter, Try Switching Ballots”, May 24, 2022. It gives a general perspective on the rationale and appropriate circumstances for voting for the other party. Their article is not written about Trump and does not favor one party or another.