What is the difference between a primary and a general election?

• A. A primary uses secret ballots; general uses voice vote
• B. A primary is statewide; general is local only
• C. A primary selects a party's nominee; a general election chooses public officials from nominees
• D. A primary is for legislative offices; general is for executive offices

Answer: (C)

Primaries determine a party’s nominee for the ballot, while general elections pick the officeholder from those nominees. In a primary, members of a party vote to decide who will represent that party in the next election. The general election then presents nominees from different parties (and sometimes independents) and voters choose which candidate actually fills the public office. So the primary narrows the field within a party, and the general election decides who wins the office.

The other options don’t capture this distinction. Secret ballots are standard in both kinds of elections, not a defining difference. Primaries aren’t limited to statewide versus general local scope, and primaries aren’t restricted to legislative offices versus executive offices.