What is the difference between a primary election and a general election?

• A. A primary selects a party's nominee; a general election determines who holds the office.
• B. A primary election determines who holds the office; a general election selects party nominees.
• C. A primary election is only for national offices; a general election is only for local offices.
• D. They are the same process.

Answer: (A)

Primaries select a party's nominee, while a general election determines who holds the office. In primaries, voters choose among candidates within the same party to decide who will represent that party in the next election. The general election then pits those party nominees—often alongside independent candidates who meet ballot rules—against each other to decide who actually wins the office and serves the term. The difference matters: the primary narrows the field inside a party, and the general election chooses the officeholder. Some states run primaries open to any voter or only to registered party members, but the purpose stays the same. The general election is about selecting the winner who will occupy the position, not about choosing the party’s nominee.