A discriminatory electoral practice common in the Southern United States during the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries restricted primary elections to white voters. Effectively, this practice disenfranchised African Americans in one-party states where the primary election determined the winner of the general election. The exclusion prevented Black citizens from participating in the crucial initial stage of candidate selection. For example, in many Southern states, only white voters could cast ballots in the Democratic primary, essentially deciding who would hold office.
The significance of this practice lies in its historical role in maintaining racial segregation and limiting political representation for African Americans. It highlights the ways in which formal legal structures and informal social norms were used to circumvent constitutional guarantees of equal protection and voting rights. Its prevalence underscored a systemic effort to suppress the political power of Black citizens, contributing to widespread social and economic inequality. Overturning such discriminatory practices was a pivotal element of the Civil Rights Movement.
