Things looking up for open primaries
Getting the Pennsylvania Legislature to open up the state’s primary elections to political independents was bound to be an uphill climb.
After all, change often does not go over well in this state. And legislators have a natural interest in preserving the system that got them elected.
But we’re seeing signs of progress. The House State Government Committee held a hearing last week at Villanova University on legislation that would change the way Pennsylvania primaries are conducted.
Lawmakers heard testimony on the merits of House Bill 1369, sponsored by Rep. Chris Quinn, a Delaware County Republican. The bill would open the state’s primaries to all voters, not just Republicans and Democrats.
The very fact that a hearing was held is good news. This is the first time in memory that Pennsylvania lawmakers have conducted a hearing on the subject, according to David Thornburgh of Ballot PA, a group that favors open primaries. Also encouraging was the mix of people speaking in favor of the bill. It has support from Democrats and Republicans.
An interesting perspective came from two military veterans who discussed the particular impact of closed primaries on the men and women who served in the armed forces.
They said many see government as “of the people, for the people, by the people” rather than a product of politics, so they remain politically independent. As a result they are shut out from voting in primaries.
Veteran Marilyn Kelly-Cavotta invoked President Abraham Lincoln’s “of the people” phrasing in the Gettysburg Address to urge passage of the bill.
“Honor that saying by allowing independent veteran voters the right to vote in all elections,” she said.
It’s an excellent point. Primaries typically produce very low turnout. With a closed primary, a small pool of voters gets to decide the choices voters will have in November.
Many races effectively are decided in the spring. That’s especially true in school board and local judicial races where candidates can have their names appear on both Republican and Democratic ballots in the primary. This results in some candidates taking the nomination in both parties and effectively winning the seat long before the November election arrives. There are similar problems in communities where one party or the other is dominant. The prevailing party’s nominee is practically guaranteed election.
Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that doesn’t allow voting by citizens who register as independents. More than 1.2 million voters, or 14% are not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican Party in Pennsylvania and thus can’t cast a ballot in the primary.
John Opdycke, president of nonprofit Open Primaries, said nationwide research by the University of Southern California showed that states with closed primaries have about 20% lower turnout in general elections than other states. We’re certain that has a lot to do with the sense of futility people feel when they see the choices presented to them each November.
Allowing more people to participate in primaries offers the hope of less polarization in our politics. Right now the structure of primaries encourages candidates to take extreme positions in a bid to appeal to their party’s base. If candidates have to appeal to independents, it could well lead to some badly needed moderation.
Another issue brought up during the hearing was the growing disillusionment with both major political parties. That’s a big reason why so many people choose not to affiliate with either of them. Give them a chance to have a voice in selecting candidates, and it just might make a difference and improve the state of our democracy.
Rep. Jared Solomon, a Philadelphia Democrat, noted that the approval ratings for both parties are “in the tank” and more voices must be brought into the process.
“What we know is the status quo is not working,” Solomon said.
He’s absolutely right. We urge lawmakers to keep the momentum going and make this much needed change to improve Pennsylvania elections.