When an individual registers to vote in Florida, a party affiliation option is given. This determines which primary elections one is eligible to vote in. For those of us who choose not to affiliate with a political party, we choose "NPA" (No Party Affiliation). By selecting "NPA," we cannot vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries, except for situations where there is no opposition in one party or the race is non-partisan. It was no light decision when I switched to NPA several years ago. I was denying myself the opportunity to vote in Presidential Preference primaries, something I had done religiously since I was first able to vote for President in 1984. For most of my adult life, I tended to vote for Republican candidates. In Georgia, where I lived until 2000, no party selection is associated with voter registration, so the primaries are considered "open." Still, I usually voted in the Republican primaries and for the Republican candidates