Let independents vote in primaries

It’s time Pennsylvania lawmakers acknowledge that a significant number of eligible voters do not wish to align with a particular party but still want to participate in the primary election process. Open primaries would not only give those independent voters a voice, but they would likely increase turnout and could lessen some of the state’s political polarization.

Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that permits only those registered as Republicans or Democrats to vote in the primary elections. And the turnout in the primaries speaks for itself: In 2018, voter turnout was just 18%. It was notably higher in the 2016 presidential primary at 40.5%, but was only 19.8% in 2012.

The Committee of Seventy — a group composed of dozens of civic leaders in Philadelphia that advocates for more effective government — has renewed a push for open primaries in the state. The group’s argument is that closed primaries lead to candidates with extreme views that cater only to the party’s base. If elected, the hard-line views contribute to the gridlock and lack of compromise too often seen in Harrisburg as well as Washington, D.C.

For too long, we have seen voting break down repeatedly along party lines across a host of proposals. Negotiation and compromise seem lost arts among today’s lawmakers.

David Thornburgh, son of Republican former Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh and president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that independent voters include a large group of young people who are fed up with partisan bickering. Further, independents typically reflect the more centrist views of the majority of state residents.

As of 2018, the state had nearly 4.1 million registered Democrats and 3.25 million registered Republicans, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. However, one of the fastest-growing segments of voters are those who are unaffiliated with either party. They numbered 1.2 million in 2018, an increase of 8.62% from four year earlier.

There is bipartisan support for open primaries among party leaders, including former Pennsylvania Govs. Tom Ridge, a Republican, and Ed Rendell, a Democrat. The state Senate, with support of the chairs of both parties, passed Senate Bill 300 in June 2019 by a 42-8 vote. The bill, which would allow independents to vote in primaries, has not come to a vote in the House.

Independent voters deserve the chance to make their voices heard during the primary elections and to hopefully provide candidates more open to the concept of bipartisan government. The Legislature should approve a bill for open primaries.