primary election

election to nominate candidates

A primary election is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election (nominating primary). In other words, primary elections are generally when each political party decides its nominee for the upcoming general election. Primaries are common in the United States, where they trace their origin to the progressive movement. Elsewhere in the world, the nomination of candidates is usually the responsibility of political parties and does not make use of the public apparatus for holding elections.
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Noun
1. a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen
(synonym) primary
(hypernym) election
(hyponym) direct primary