I have a silly question about US voter registration

[T_i_B]

Now I've been on DU since 2001 and I suppose I really should have asked this question sooner, but I'm interested in how voter registration works in the US.

Why? Well over here it's very simple, you fill out the form sent to you by the council, send it back and you are on the electoral register. You are not registered as Labour, Tory, Independent or anything else. If you want that sort of thing you can contact whatever party it is you want to join, pay your subs and become a party member.

However, when it comes to American politics you here lots of people talking about "registered republicans", "registered democrats" and "registered independents". Is that something that you have to do when you register to vote? And if so how does this affect your right to a secret ballot?

And how does it work for party membership? Does membership of a US party mean simply registering as that party when you register to vote or do you have to become a full member of the club?

I'm sure these are silly questions, but I might as well ask.

[Redneck Socialist]

1. It varies some from state to state, but where I live

You register as a member of a party or as an undeclared voter. However if you wish to vote in a party's primary you need to declare for that party, though you can switch back to undeclared after voting if you wish.

[damntexdem]

13. I thought it strange when I moved to Texas.

Here, there is no registration by party, as there has been in every other state where I've lived.

In fact, I still find it strange.

[AlCzervik]

2. in california you can check off "Decline to state".

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. In Michigan

no need to register with any party.

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_8716---,00.html

[Zavulon]

4. Here's our form

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/InternetVRA.pdf

[T_i_B]

9. Thanks for that!

[Zavulon]

10. Welcome. You're just a few strokes of a pen away from

being able to vote here now. ;)

[T_i_B]

11. Well, that and a US passport!

[Zavulon]

12. Get one and you could become governor here.

Too bad you can't become president, because we could use a native speaker of English in the Oval Office. :)

[tritsofme]

5. Its different in every state, in Illinois where I live there is no party registration

The closest we come to it is in the primary where you can choose a Republican or Democratic ballot, and which one you choose is a public record.

[MGKrebs]

6. In my state (Georgia) there is no party registration.

However, in primary elections, you must select which ballot you would like. In other words, you can't vote in both the Republican and the Democratic primary. They do track which ballot you selct, and therefore if you vote in the primary, the voter roll will show which ballot you chose, and that voter roll is public information. That is as close as we come to party affiliation here, except that if you get elected to be a member of the state Democratic party, you have to take an oath to uphold party principles, etc.

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. Most people in this country are unaffiliated...

when you register to vote, you don't have to declare a party and most people don't. However I know in my state (NJ) if you want to vote in a primary, you have to be a member of a political party. All you have to do if you want to declare is show up to the polls on primary day, tell the poll worker you wish to declare your party affiliation and you can vote in that primary. You can switch at any time but after your first party declaration you have to file paperwork with your county clerk to switch as opposed to just showing up at the polls to change your party. The laws vary from state to state, but you don't have to pay any dues to be in a political party here.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. We don't divulge our secrets to foreigners.

Just kidding.

The actual process of voter registration varies from state to state but as part of the registration one can declare affiliation with a party, thus becoming a 'registered Democratic' et cetera. The principal purpose for this declaration is that in most states you are eligible to vote in primary for that party for as long as your registration is in force. Some states have open primary laws, where voters can declare themselves a party member on voting day in order to cast a ballot in the primary and the affiliation lasts only for that day. In other states once a declaration has been made, one is considered a registered party member until another declaration is made.

The only affect on balloting is during primary votes, where one receives the ballot for the slate of candidates for one party only. Otherwise all voters receive the same ballot.

Registration holds no obligation to work for the party.