Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pennsylvania's state elections were held November 7, 2000. A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election. Primaries are common in the United States, where their origins are traced to the progressive movement. There, primary elections are conducted by the government on behalf of the parties.