Originally posted by: Kevin Lewis
You always have many more than two choices. You can write the name of literally anyone else on the ballot.
In a deep blue state, the critical choice would be not between a Democrat and a Republican--that would make the election a foregone conclusion, and frankly, sort of pointless--but between two Democrats who have different policies in mind. And no one, in any system, has to "officially declare party affiliation." For one thing, you don't have to vote at all, and for another, to vote for one candidate isn't any such declaration.
In the closed primary system that was being considered when Washington first lost their open primary a voter would of had to declare a party affiliation IF choosing to participate in the primary.
Washington voters rejected the closed primary and voted in favor of the top two primary
We had a closed primary for one of our elections and I sat out the primary. (The top two system was temporarily ruled unconstitutional by the 9th Circuit and the US Supreme Court overturned it)
When the Republican, Democrat, and libertarian parties sued to end the open primary I think the state's response should have been " fine you guys can hold your own conventions or whatever and figure out your own nomination process"