; and (2) each voter in the State who is eligible to vote in elections for Federal office in the State (in the case of an election for the office of Senator) or in the congressional district involved (in the case of an election for the office of Member of the House of Representatives) may cast a ballot in the election, regardless of the voter’s political party preference or lack thereof. (c) General Election Each State shall hold a general election for each office of Senator or Member of the House of Representatives in the State under which the 2 candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the open primary election for such office (as described in subsection (b)), without regard to the political party preference or lack thereof of such candidates, shall be the only candidates appearing on the ballot. 3. Ability of candidates to disclose political party preferences (a) Option of Candidates To Declare Political Party Preference At the time a candidate for the office of Senator or Member of the House of Representatives files to run for such office, the candidate shall have the option of declaring a political party preference, and the preference chosen (if any) shall accompany the candidate’s name on the ballot for the election for such office. (b) Designation for Candidates Not Declaring Preference If a candidate does not declare a political party preference under subsection (a), the designation No Party Preference shall accompany the candidate’s name on the ballot for the election for such office. (c) No Party Endorsement Implied The selection of a party preference by a candidate under subsection (a) shall not constitute or imply endorsement of the candidate by the party designated, and no candidate in a general election shall be deemed the official candidate of any party by virtue of his or her selection in the primary. 4. Protection of Rights of Political Parties Nothing in this Act shall restrict the right of individuals to join or organize into political parties or in any way restrict the right of