Due to the unusual redistricting process this year that resulted in back-to-back primaries, voters for the first time will have the ability to register for a political party until and on Election Day.

Primaries in New York are usually closed, meaning voters can only vote for candidates that are under their registered political party.

However, the rule changed because the legal window for voters to change their party affiliation falls amid the unexpected second statewide primary, which was first reported by Gothamist.

What You Need To Know

• A loophole in state law will, for the first time, allow voters to change their party affiliation up until and on Primary Day


• The loophole only applies to those who are registered voters already


• The change will allow other voters, like Republicans, to vote in the August Democratic primaries


• However, if a voter chooses to change their voter registration on Primary Day, it will remain that way going forward or the voter will have to change their registrationback

This change left an opportunity for all registered voters, including Republicans, to cast a ballot in the city’s Democratic primary.

However, those who aren’t Democrats would face a complex process. They would either have to register as Democrat until and on Election Day and keep their party affiliation, or go back and change their party affiliation after the primary.

Experts say it would take a very knowledgeable and dedicated voter to want to take advantage of the unprecedented change.

“It would take a certain kind of person with a certain kind of dedication to change their enrollment and change their enrollment back again. I think some people will change their enrollment so that they can vote in the primary, but I doubt that that many will change it back,” Sarah Steiner, an election lawyer, said.

The surprise twist gave Republicans and other voters a chance to potentially get involved in local Democratic primaries and sway the final election results.

This change also gave candidates the opportunity to appeal to a larger swath of voters, especially in competitive races

“I believe in allowing democrats to vote in democratic primaries. And not allowing other people to try and influence democratic primaries,” Rep. Mondaire Jones, one of a dozen candidates in the 10th congressional district race, said.

“If there are republicans or independents that see the light and recognize that Donald Trump  is not only a threat to Democrats but a threat to our country…then I welcome them into our tent,” Dan Goldman, another candidate in the competitive NY-10 race, said.

Republican and conservative party leaders say they aren’t advocating for their members to vote in the primaries as they feel their candidates.

“We believe a person registers in the Conservative Party with the understanding that they are in the conservative party. We are not becoming involved in anyone else’s primaries through this process,” Gerard Kassar, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York, said. 

The primary election is Aug. 23.