Repeal Closed Primaries

Every spring, Pennsylvania's voters head to the polls for the Commonwealth's primary elections.

But not everyone is included in this process. That’s because primaries are closed in Pennsylvania.  More than 1.1 million taxpaying independent voters are denied their right to vote in these elections, despite paying their share of $75 million a year to fund them.

It’s time to #RepealClosedPrimaries and allow every legally registered voter to cast a ballot in PA’s primary.

74% of Pennsylvanians support repealing closed primaries - including strong majorities of independents, Democrats, and Republicans.

Repealing closed primaries would guarantee a more fair process, increase the competitiveness of races, and help limit the amount of extremism and gridlock on both sides.

Join the overwhelming majority of PA voters in favor of ending closed primaries in PA – add your name below to join the movement to #RepealClosedPrimaries now.

Ballot PA is a project of the Committee of Seventy and is a growing coalition of civic, community and business organizations committed to ensuring independents in Pennsylvania have the right to vote in primary elections.

 

Who's signing

Christopher Beck
Thomas Thompson
Andrea Mulrine
Bettina Riccio
Margaret Gumpert
Christopher Dunn
Dan McCauley
Susan Hoffman
Chris Letourneau
Gualtieri Lisa
Maureen Edwards
Donald Gunn
Linda Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
Nora Peace
Richard Lease
Janice Cope
William Cope
Brian Eisenschmied
Michele Swab
Richard Martin
Jim Stauffer
Stephen Tang
Jane Horan
Greg Keck
Nate Hershey
Simone Temple
Brendan Wissinger
Michelle Gwin
Patricia Lawlor
4,226 signatures

Will you sign?

open primaries repeal closed primaries PA primary PA republican primary PA democratic primary Pennsylvania primaries closed primaries
  • Christopher Beck
    signed 2022-05-25 11:57:45 -0400
  • Thomas Thompson
    signed 2022-05-25 11:40:46 -0400
    Thank you. This is very important
  • Andrea Mulrine
    signed 2022-05-25 11:36:26 -0400
  • Bettina Riccio
    signed 2022-05-25 11:31:06 -0400
  • Margaret Gumpert
    signed 2022-05-25 10:28:36 -0400
  • Christopher Dunn
    signed 2022-05-25 08:20:14 -0400
  • Dan McCauley
    signed 2022-05-24 21:48:41 -0400
  • Susan Hoffman
    signed 2022-05-24 21:00:05 -0400
  • Chris Letourneau
    signed 2022-05-24 18:23:59 -0400
  • Gualtieri Lisa
    signed 2022-05-24 17:52:09 -0400
  • Maureen Edwards
    signed 2022-05-24 15:32:18 -0400
  • Donald Gunn
    signed 2022-05-24 13:19:50 -0400
  • Linda Donofrio
    signed 2022-05-24 10:18:18 -0400
  • Craig Donofrio
    signed 2022-05-24 10:09:28 -0400
  • Nora Peace
    signed 2022-05-24 01:26:51 -0400
  • Richard Lease
    signed 2022-05-23 18:39:39 -0400
  • Janice Cope
    signed 2022-05-23 17:23:17 -0400
  • William Cope
    signed 2022-05-23 16:46:19 -0400
    It’s about time!
  • Brian Eisenschmied
    signed 2022-05-23 16:14:31 -0400
  • Michele Swab
    signed 2022-05-23 15:44:53 -0400
  • Richard Martin
    signed 2022-05-23 14:53:15 -0400
  • Jim Stauffer
    signed 2022-05-23 14:14:00 -0400
  • Stephen Tang
    signed 2022-05-23 12:31:36 -0400
  • Jane Horan
    signed 2022-05-23 11:20:45 -0400
  • Greg Keck
    signed 2022-05-23 10:50:47 -0400
  • Nate Hershey
    signed 2022-05-23 09:58:08 -0400
  • Simone Temple
    signed 2022-05-23 09:12:29 -0400
    Everyone should be allowed to vote in EVERY election – no matter what party they are or aren’t in.
  • Brendan Wissinger
    signed 2022-05-22 22:08:42 -0400
    We must repeal open primaries. They encourage partisanship and encourage and incentivize politicians to appeal to their base instead of appealing to a majority of the electorate, thereby pushing more partisan and extremist candidates. They harm candidates that a majority of people agree with simply because they aren’t the largest faction in the party, and end up creating a spoiler effect where voters vote for the lesser of the two evils. Voting should be about electing governments that fix things not ones who destroy our lives the least. They alienate independents making them unable to vote, and because of our first past the post system and the spoiler effect they are unable to vote for candidates that believe will govern the best at the ballot box in the general elections. Not only should we replace closed primaries with open primaries, we should replace closed primaries with the most democratic and American primaries: Nonpartisan Blanket Primaries with give voters the most choice and they don’t have to choose between parties at the ballot box either.
  • Michelle Gwin
    signed 2022-05-22 14:04:39 -0400
    closed primaries are just another hoop for voters to jump through in order to access their constitutional right to freely express their choice for representation. it is an archaic, outdated “status quo” for which there is no excuse NOT to amend & update to reflect the needs of current society. end closed primaries NOW.
  • Patricia Lawlor
    signed 2022-05-22 10:59:29 -0400

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