Advocates Push to Open Pennsylvania’s Closed Primary System to Independent Voters
Nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvania independent and third-party voters are excluded from Tuesday’s primaries under the state’s closed election system, sparking calls for reform.
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — Nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvania voters registered as independents or with third parties will be unable to participate in Tuesday’s primary elections, as the commonwealth maintains one of the nation’s most restrictive voting systems.
Pennsylvania is one of only eight states with completely closed primary elections, where only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective party primaries. Another nine states operate “partially closed” primaries that give parties the option to allow unaffiliated voters to cast ballots.
Advocates for election reform are pushing to change Pennsylvania’s system, arguing it excludes a growing segment of the electorate from key electoral decisions.
Growing Independent Voter Population
“We think that there’s a lot of need to amplify and support the fact that more and more Americans don’t want to be part of team blue or team red,” said John Opdycke, the founder and president of Open Primaries, a national organization that advocates for nonpartisan primary systems in municipal, state and federal elections.
Independent and unaffiliated voters represent the fastest-growing segment of Pennsylvania’s electorate. Nearly 1.2 million Pennsylvania voters are registered as independents, with another 315,000 registered with third parties. Combined, these voters make up nearly 17% of the commonwealth’s electorate.
“Pennsylvania is kind of old school,” Opdycke added. “It’s got a primary system that was designed 90 odd years ago. It’s very exclusionary … independents can’t vote when it comes to the primaries.”
Outdated System Design
According to Opdycke, the current system made sense decades ago when more than 90% of voters were members of a political party, but demographic changes have rendered the approach obsolete. The closed primary structure prevents nearly one in six registered voters from participating in elections that often determine the eventual winners in heavily partisan districts.
Open Primaries advocates argue that excluding independent voters from primary elections undermines democratic participation and forces voters to declare party affiliation simply to exercise their voting rights. The organization promotes nonpartisan primary systems that would allow all registered voters to participate regardless of party registration.
National Context
Pennsylvania’s restrictive approach places it among a minority of states nationwide. Most states have adopted some form of open or semi-open primary system that provides greater access to independent voters.
The push for primary reform comes as political parties across the country grapple with changing voter preferences and increasing numbers of Americans who identify as political independents rather than committed party members.
Tuesday’s primary elections will determine party nominees for various state and local races heading into November’s general election, but the significant portion of Pennsylvania voters registered outside the major parties will remain on the sidelines until the fall campaign.
