Are Open Primaries Unconstitutional? SCOTUS May Decide

image
Created: 11 May, 2017
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
1 min read

The justices on the Supreme Court will consider taking up two cases challenging open primaries in Montana and Hawaii Thursday. The lawsuits were brought by the majority parties in each state (Democratic Party in Hawaii; Republican committees in Montana), both asserting that the open primary system severely burdens their First Amendment right to association.

Up to this point, lower courts in both cases have ruled that neither the Democratic Party in Hawaii nor the Republican Party in Montana presented sufficient evidence to make their case. Will the Supreme Court find differently?

READ MORE: SCOTUS Sets Conference Date for Hawaii, Montana Open Primary Cases

ALSO READ: SCOTUS Hints Partisan Open Primaries May Be Unconstitutional

Photo Credit: Tinnaporn Sathapornnanont / shutterstock.com

Latest articles

Voter with glasses filling out their ballot.
Gallup: National Independent ID Remains at Record High
Gallup has released its annual look back at what party affiliation looked like in the previous year. What it found was independent ID remained steady at a record-high 43% from 2023 to 2024....
21 Jan, 2025
-
1 min read
Stacked US currency
Utah Senate Majority Leader Introduces Resolution to Protect State Sovereignty, Combat Foreign Influence in Elections
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore last week introduced a resolution in support of a constitutional amendment designed to restore states' authority to regulate campaign finance laws. The announcement came just days before the anniversary of the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court ruling....
20 Jan, 2025
-
2 min read
Phone with the TikTok logo on it.
US vs TikTok: The Politics of Data Privacy and Free Speech
At the time of this recording, a controversial law imposing heavy fines on companies providing access to TikTok was set to take effect, effectively banning the app for US users....
20 Jan, 2025
-
1 min read