Lawmakers in the Tennessee State House on Tuesday will consider legislation that would close primary elections in the Volunteer State to only registered members of a political party. The legislation would require voters to register as Republican or Democratic voters to be eligible to participate in a nominating contest for either party.
According to its legislative summary, House Bill (HB) 1159 by State Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mount Juliet) would require a prospective voter to designate an affiliation with a political party when registering to vote in Tennessee in order to vote in a primary election, which would effectively close the opportunity for unaffiliated voters to influence a party’s nominating contest in the state.
Read the full story