Every 4 years, Americans cast their vote for President. The nominees for President and Vice-President are chosen by political parties. Political parties have varied state rules on how to choose their nominees; for example, whether to hold a primary or a caucus, how to apportion votes (winner take all versus proportional), etc. They can be complex events, and so it is important for voters to know what to do in order to participate in a presidential primary election.
However, some--but not all--political parties choose to allow No Party Preference (NPP) voters to participate in their primary without having to re-register. That is what's referred to as a "crossover." If you are not registered with one of the six certified political parties, that means that the state election laws consider you to be a NPP voter and you will be given the option to crossover.
If you are a NPP voter, then we're sending you an orange postcard with 3 choices for how to participate in the primary:
- Request a crossover. For the March Primary, this is only allowed for the American Independent, Democratic, and Libertarian Parties. If you want to get a crossover ballot, please complete the postcard and return it to us.
- Re-register. Do this if you want to participate in the party's primary but do not have the option to crossover. If you want to re-register, it's easy to do so at https://registertovote.ca.gov/.
- Do nothing. You will be provided a ballot with no presidential candidates on it, but every other contest will be available to you to vote on.
If you don't get the postcard for whatever reason but are a NPP voter and would like to request a crossover, you can also complete this application: https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3881/March-5-2024-Request-a-Crossover-Ballot
Need a quick reference? Get our Presidential Primaries Pocket Guide! You can pick one up in our office or print one on your own https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/51407/FINAL_2024-Primary-Pocket-Guide_Color_Foldable. When you print the Pocket Guide, be sure to print on both sides and flip on the short edge to make the pocket guide work as intended.
Read more about Presidential Primaries and Crossover Voting on our website: https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3745/Presidential-Primaries-and-Crossover-Vot
