What does cross-over voting refer to?

Cross-over voting refers to the act of a voter participating in a primary election of a political party to which they do not belong. This phenomenon often occurs in states with open primary systems, where voters are allowed to choose the primary they wish to participate in, regardless of their registered party affiliation. This can influence the selection of candidates by allowing members of one party to vote in the primary of another party, potentially swaying the outcome in favor of a candidate who appeals to a broader audience or undermining a preferred candidate of the opposing party.

In contrast, the other options describe different electoral behaviors that do not specifically define cross-over voting. Influencing another party's members or voting exclusively for independent candidates does not capture the essence of participating in a primary outside one’s registered party. Additionally, taking part in a general election does not involve party primaries and therefore is not relevant to the concept of cross-over voting.