Primary elections and general elections serve different purposes in the electoral process:
1. **Primary Election:**
- **Purpose:** Primary elections are held within political parties to choose their candidate for an upcoming general election.
- **Voters:** Registered members of a political party participate in primary elections, casting their votes to determine the party's nominee for various offices, such as president, governor, senator, etc.
- **Multiple Rounds:** Primaries can be in different forms: open (allowing any registered voter to participate), closed (only allowing registered party members), or semi-closed (allowing independents to choose a party ballot).
- **Outcome:** The winner becomes the party's official candidate for the general election.
2. **General Election:**
- **Purpose:** The general election is the final step where voters select their preferred candidate for various public offices.
- **Voters:** All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can participate in the general election. They choose among the candidates nominated during the primary elections as well as any independent or third-party candidates.
- **Outcome:** The winners of the general election secure the public offices they were competing for, whether it's the presidency, governorship, congressional seats, or local offices.
In summary, primary elections are held within political parties to determine their official candidates, while the general election involves all registered voters choosing among the candidates nominated during the primaries, independents, and third-party candidates for public offices.