Party activists are pushing in internal deliberations to "sharply limit" open primaries so that only registered Republicans are allowed to vote, the New York Times publication said Tuesday, citing GOP officials. The officials are cited as blaming open primaries for allowing presumptive nominee Donald Trump garner votes and secure a path toward the nomination.
His latest victory in the northwestern state of Washington on Tuesday puts him 48 delegates short of securing the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination race.
Trump’s conservative credentials are routinely questioned by ideologues and the party establishment. He has all but secured the Republican nomination early this month after picking off 16 challengers one by one since February.
As an alternative, Republicans are considering doing away with the early state system entirely and replacing it with a "rotating set of states" grouped on the basis of population and geography.
Early primary states Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada wield considerable influence in the current nominating process.
Trump won the New Hampshire and South Carolina open primaries, triggering criticism that independent voters allowed to cast their ballots exercise too much influence in the party contests.
