How Can You Change Your Political Party Affiliatement?

Research suggests that political party affiliation is not an inflexible attitude; when voters were reinterviewed less than three weeks later, significant numbers had changed their party membership.

New York allows voters to voluntarily enroll in any qualified political party when registering to vote, or on their voter registration affidavit form. Doing so allows them to vote in that party’s primary elections.

How to Change Your Party Affiliation

Ordinarily, registered voters who change their party enrollment between Feb. 14 and seven days before Primary Day or on Primary Day would be barred from voting in state Senate and congressional primaries; however, due to a loophole created by court rulings regarding redistricting issues in New York state law, these registered voters can make changes and vote this week.

Voters can switch their political affiliation at any time by marking the “Record Update/Change” box on their voter registration form or filling out a new registration application; however, changes must be completed at least 29 days before a partisan primary election for it to take effect at that election. Voters may also indicate their new party preference via an Affidavit Ballot prior to voting day.

Voters may elect to remain unaffiliated and vote for candidates from any party during general elections; however, in closed primary elections like those taking place this week they are only eligible to vote if enrolled with one party’s ballot.

The Voter Registration Affidavit Ballot

Before the implementation of HAVA, many states provided voters who didn’t appear in the poll book with an “affidavit ballot”, or provisional ballot. While these ballots were counted after they had been submitted and reviewed after election officials reviewed them to see whether or not they should counted; Dustin Czarny of Onondaga County Board of Elections notes that those using these provisional ballots are required to sign an oath swearing they’re registered, mark their ballot and seal it within an envelope before being reviewed bipartisan by board of elections as to its validity before counting it counts or not.

An oath requires people to affirm they are registered voters with correct addresses, have never been charged with crimes punishable by more than one year in jail, and agree not to allow their information be used commercially or given out for campaigning purposes or other partisan or nonpartisan uses. Upon signing such an oath they are bound to maintain these standards of behavior for future use in politics or otherwise.

Voters may need to present identification at their polling place if it has not been provided on their registration application. According to the NYC Board of Elections, first-time voters are advised to bring either their New York State driver’s license or ID card, utility bill statement bank statement pay slip government check or paycheck showing their name and address or another official document that details these elements of identity as proof of age and current residence.

Some first-time voters must sign an oath stating they live at the address indicated on their registration form before being permitted to vote in person. Students registering as voters for the first time and have yet to receive an ID should bring some official document with them as proof they reside at that address.

Any voter whose registration has become inactive as the result of two consecutive federal elections not voting or moving without notifying the NYC Board of Elections should be eligible to cast an affidavit ballot; those living with serious illnesses can opt to use confidential balloting.

Voting in a Primary Election

Primary Elections allow political parties to select their nominees for office in the General Election. Voters also cast votes on ballot issues during this phase. Depending on state law, voters may have the option of declaring their party affiliation at polling places or be required to do so on an affidavit ballot; and in certain states there may be closed primaries with only members of one political party being allowed to participate.

New York State provides open primaries that allow voters to select Democratic, Green, Libertarian or Republican ballots from among a selection of four political parties: Democrats, Greens, Libertarians or Republicans. To participate in these Primaries Elections voters must register for each party prior to participating; 17 year olds who will turn 18 before General Election day can still vote in one Primary Election only if their voting age will have changed by then.

Voters who have changed their party affiliation between registration and Primary Day will be issued ballots for the next election and become members of their new political party; if they change back before then, however, they will continue as members of their prior affiliation until making another change to their registration.

Oft-held beliefs regarding one’s party affiliation is often tenuous, yet recent studies have demonstrated otherwise. A Pew Research Center survey showed 18% of respondents providing different responses when interviewed again within two weeks by that organization.

Some states may require voters to indicate their party affiliation on an affidavit ballot or polling place sign-up sheet, while in others you may simply need to indicate it when casting their vote in presidential primaries and caucuses – although others don’t require you to declare any particular affiliation in these events; any candidate regardless of political party can cast his/her ballot in such ballots; most states use closed primary systems whereby only voters who belong to one particular party may cast ballots during primary elections.

Voting in a General Election

At general elections, all registered voters can cast their vote without regard to political affiliation. But in partisan primaries, only voters enrolled with an eligible party can cast votes for its candidates; unaffiliated voters may participate by signing an affidavit to affiliate themselves with one at the polling place on election day or changing it by writing “Independent” into Section 9 of their voter registration affidavit during civilian voter registration deadline, usually 25 days prior to Election Day.

State laws dictate whether or not voters can choose the party of their choice when voting. Some states, like North Carolina, permit voters to indicate “No Party Preference” on their ballot, enabling them to select any candidate on their ballot without restriction from either major party affiliation; other states permit voters to only select candidates associated with specific political groups such as Democrats or Republicans.

Studies indicate that party affiliation can significantly impact an individual’s attitudes and behavior. Yale University research demonstrated that participants who received letters reminding them of the requirement to affiliate with a political party in order to vote were more likely to join a party, change their views on political issues, and alter their voting behavior. Voting in a general election is one of the best ways to have your voice heard and shape public policy. Your vote helps determine how many electors from each State will go forward to form the Presidential Electoral College that elects President and Vice President, as well as which political parties are represented in Congress, state legislatures and local and regional elected offices.