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direct primary
noun
: a primary in which nominations of candidates for office are made by direct vote
Examples of direct primary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Require that the direct primary election for any partisan office allow each political party that has qualified for representation on the ballot to nominate the same number of candidates for the office as the number of positions to be filled for that office in the next general election.
—Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
Provide that the state direct primary election law supersedes any city charter, law, ordinance, rule, resolution or policy that is inconsistent with or contrary to the state direct primary election law.
—Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
Once the direct primary was adopted for Presidential nominations in the 1970s, the party structure that would typically make decisions about who leads the ticket was disempowered and has shriveled in the interest of more democracy.
—Lawrence R. Jacobs / Made By History, TIME, 22 July 2024
Hartford historically has conducted direct primary challenges and does not caucus.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1900, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near direct primary
Cite this Entry
“Direct primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/direct%20primary. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on direct primary
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about direct primary
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