Are we there yet? An explanation of the primary process

UNDER THE state's blanket primary, also called open primary, a voter can vote for any candidate regardless of the voter's party and the candidate's party. Democrats can vote for Democrats, Republicans or third-party candidates. Republicans can vote for Republicans, Democrats or third-party candidates. And independents, voters who decline to state a party, can also vote for any candidate.

That remains true for this election, with one major hitch.

In the presidential race, while voters can vote for any of the candidates, the Democrats and Republicans will only count the votes of members of their own parties toward the contest to win delegates to the nominating conventions.

Who can vote?

Any citizen at least 18 years old who has already registered to vote at a California address can cast a ballot on March 7. Check your sample ballot for your poll location.

How does the presidential contest work?

State law requires the secretary of state to count the popular vote for the presidential candidates. This so-called "beauty contest" vote will be closely watched by political observers as one gauge of how the candidates who finish at the top might match up in November. However, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans will use this count to select their presidential nominees. Under Republican and Democratic party rules, only the votes from their own registered party members will be used to determine which candidate's delegates are sent to the national nominating conventions this summer.

What happens if a Democratic voter votes for a Republican candidate or a Republican voter votes for a Democratic candidate?

Those votes count toward the candidate's results in the overall "beauty contest," but won't help the candidate win the nomination.

Do the votes of independents count?

They count in the overall "beauty contest," but not toward the nomination.

How will the results for the presidential primaries be reported?

The results will include the winner of the overall popular vote, the winners of the GOP and Democratic primaries, and the apportionment of GOP and Democratic delegates.

How is the number of delegates determined?

Primary votes cast for president are used to determine how many delegates a candidate will get at the nominating convention. In the case of Democrats, the delegates are apportioned based on a candidate's share of the votes in each congressional district. Republicans use a winner-take-all system.

Who wrote these rules?

Voters adopted the blanket primary in a 1996 initiative, and it was used in the 1998 elections. But national party officials refused to recognize the blanket primary, so the state Legislature drafted this compromise plan and Gov. Gray Davis signed it. The state has no legal authority to change the way national parties select delegates.

Will the blanket primary be used in the next elections?