primaries
n. countablen. elections where voters choose which person will represent their political party in a main election. They help a party decide on its best candidate before the final vote.
n. preliminary elections in which voters of a specific jurisdiction select a political party's candidate for a subsequent general election.
The candidates are traveling across the country to win the primaries.
Voter turnout during the spring primaries often determines which direction the party will take in the national election.
While the general election captures global attention, the primaries are where the ideological battle for the party's soul is truly fought and won by grassroots organizers.
Usually used in the plural form when referring to the series of election events.