According to this story, after the November 2014 election, the Arizona Republican Party will study whether to seek a closed primary for itself. Under Arizona law, all parties with primaries must let independents into their primary. According to the story, 21% of the votes cast in the 2014 Republican primary were cast by independent voters.
The 21% was for Mohave County, which is along the Colorado River southward from Las Vegas. It has the largest share of independent voters (39.8% vs 35.5% statewide). Independents have become the largest voter group since 2012.
Statewide, the article said that 16% of voters in the Republican primary were independents, and 11% of those in the Democratic primary.
Evidence in the Idaho primary-closure case noted that there were some voters who self-identify as Republicans but have political views more aligned with Democrats; and other voters who self-identify as independents, but are essentially straight-ticket Republican voters.
The judge in Idaho used this latter group as the basis for eliminating the pick-a-party primary.
Not too surprised at the GOP in Arizona. They want only doctrinaire conservatives voting in their primaries – and this is one reason in some recent elections the Republicans have lost some major offices they should have won.
The SCOTUS MORONS messed up the election process in the 2000 CA Donkeys case.
There are PUBLIC nominations of PUBLIC candidates for PUBLIC offices by PUBLIC Electors according to PUBLIC L-A-W-S.
i.e. ALL Electors in top 2 States
OR
SOME Electors in the other States – i.e. closed or open primaries with or without other party voters and/or independent voters.