Registering as a democrat is a relatively painless process, whether or not you’re already registered to vote. Even if you’d rather not commit to any particular party, you may find yourself wishing to support a specific democrat (or republican) candidate when primaries come around. In the U.S. system, many states’ voting regulations prohibit independent voters from casting a ballot during primary season (a primary’s status as “open” or “closed” refers to this allowance or prohibition), but there’s no requirement that you stick with that party after the general election.[1] [2]