Voting rights should be simple: you should have the right to vote in the elections that matter in your community. But that's not the way it is.So here's a question: do you know the rules for voting in your state? Get all the info in this week's addition of the LetUsVote Newsletter.

Voting rights should be simple: you should have the right to vote in the elections that matter in your community. But that's not the way it is.

The rules change all the time. Different states have different rules. Sometimes, states have different rules for different types of elections. And in many states, independents like you and me can't event vote in the elections that matter. So here's a question: do you know the rules for voting in your state?

No worries if you don't. Scroll down and you'll know what you need to know.

Let's start with the basics. Elections usually come in two categories: general elections and primary elections. General elections are simple: the winner of a general election wins the elected office. Easy, right?

But here's the trouble: these elections are often noncompetitive. Sometimes, there's only one candidate, or no candidate at all. We'll be releasing a report in the coming months on this topic, but suffice it to say: only fraction of elections are determined in general elections. When you vote in a general election, there's roughly an 85% chance the election has already been decided.

So when was the election decided? The answer is the primary.

Primary elections are paid for by the state, not the political parties that hold them. If they're paid for by the public, the public should have the right to vote in them. But that's not always the case. Right now, there are two major types of primaries.

Partisan Primaries:

These primaries split voters and candidates by party, meaning voters can only vote for a few of the candidates for a given office.

1. Closed primaries exclude independent and unaffiliated voters from primary elections, meaning independents don't have the right to vote in these crucial elections.
2. Open partisan primaries allow independents to vote only if they register with a major party's ballot line (Republican or Democrat).
3. Open partisan primaries allow independents to vote, but still separate the primaries by party, and obligate voters to choose a party primary to vote in (Republican or Democrat).

Open Primaries

There is one primary, and all candidates from all parties are listed on the same ballot. Every voter can participate and vote for every candidate, regardless of party.

1. In a Top Two Open Primary, the top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election. Three states use this system.
2. In a Top Four Open Primary, you guessed it: the top four vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election. Just one state - Alaska - uses this system

While some partisan primaries are better than others, the truth is this: open primaries ensure all voters, regardless of party, get a chance to be heard in the elections that matter.

Each and every state is a little bit different. Sometimes, there are differences within a state between local state, federal and presidential elections. Our good friends at Open Primaries have assembled this incredible map that dives deep on all the details relevant to you. I highly recommend you check it out.

At LetUsVote, we believe all voters deserve the right to vote, regardless of political party. Millions of voters are choosing to switch from Republican or Democrat to Independent every year.

43% of Americans identify as independents. If you want to support independent voters, sign up to volunteer for LetUsVote in your community.

That's it on our primer about primary elections! On Wednesday, we'll share a sneak peak into some incredible conversations we had with independents in Washington DC a few weeks ago. You're not going to want to miss it.

If you support what we're doing here at LetUsVote, please know that a small donation of $5 or $10 helps us keep up the work of building a unique and totally new community for independent voters. It would mean the world if you can contribute.

Sincerely,

Will Conway

Campaign Director - LetUsVote