on what the state primary rules are. In some states there is such a thing called "open primary" where any voter of any party can choose which party's ballot they will vote on, but yo can only choose one party for the entire ballot as it is a primary election. In other states only voters registered to a party can vote that party's ballot. Not sure if there's any other practice but that's what I have found in the states where I have been a registered voter.

You may also check into what the time limits might be for changing party affiliation as in some states you can vote in a primary as a registered voter in one party yet switch party affiliation between then and the general election.

If you are voting as a registered anything in any primary, you still have the choice to vote for either party in the general regardless of affiliation. Sometimes it is an interesting thing for Rs to vote for Ds in the general...

It's too late to change affiliation for the Primary..

You can if you are registered and unaffiliated with a party (though I think you'll have to be willing to sign a statement that you intend to support the Republican in November).

You can choose your primary as unaffiliated. Though for this to work, it would take a lot of Dems switching to unaffiliated to pull this off.

So if you're in an area where your Democratic candidate of your choice is going to win the primary (or no opposition) I suppose it wouldn't do any harm. If however the Democrats in the primary are competitive enough to warrant your vote for a particular candidate then please go with the Dem Primary.

Tillis is sitting right at the 40% line in the most recent polls. A few extra votes for one of the alternatives would drive him into a runoff in July. Worst-case, that costs him some more money/time that would otherwise be spent on attacking Hagan.

But I can't bring myself to do it. Voting records are public and I would hate to have a voting record that needed explaining.

I thought that we have the sanctity of the voting booth. Are you saying that it is public that John Q. Public voted for James Smith?

I would think that this is violation of the Constitution, but am not a legal eagle. Far from it.

... Just the fact that you voted in the Republican primary.