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

Brendan Wissinger
Michelle Gwin
Patricia Lawlor
Joan Waters Freiberg
Blair Echols
Jean
Christopher Kopco
Holly Schnur
John Freiberg
Parrish Mellott
Mark M e llott
Carole Bailey
Rose Hardimg
Brigid Gallagher
Michael Strickler
Michael Landis
Barbara Ford
Lauriaselle Afanador
Jeanne Duffy
Elizabeth Grant
Bruce Chan
Eileen Flinn
Robert D Hadden
William Van Hoeven
William Cumby
Nancy Brevak
Curvin Strausbaugh
Edward Vaughan
Jose Gutierrez
Chris Conrath
4,233 signatures

Will you sign?

  • 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
  • Joan Waters Freiberg
    signed 2022-05-22 10:07:45 -0400
  • Blair Echols
    signed 2022-05-22 09:57:03 -0400
    Open up the elections.
  • Jean
    signed 2022-05-22 09:37:48 -0400
  • Christopher Kopco
    signed 2022-05-22 06:38:24 -0400
  • Holly Schnur
    signed 2022-05-21 23:12:34 -0400
  • John Freiberg
    signed 2022-05-21 21:22:00 -0400
  • Parrish Mellott
    signed 2022-05-21 14:13:44 -0400
  • Mark M e llott
    signed 2022-05-21 13:34:52 -0400
    Mark mellott
  • Carole Bailey
    signed 2022-05-21 10:50:02 -0400
  • Rose Hardimg
    signed via 2022-05-21 10:19:10 -0400
  • Brigid Gallagher
    signed 2022-05-21 08:56:21 -0400
  • Michael Strickler
    signed 2022-05-21 05:40:05 -0400
  • Michael Landis
    signed 2022-05-20 20:46:58 -0400
  • Barbara Ford
    signed 2022-05-20 20:38:22 -0400
  • Lauriaselle Afanador
    signed 2022-05-20 18:39:37 -0400
  • Jeanne Duffy
    signed 2022-05-20 17:09:55 -0400
  • Elizabeth Grant
    signed 2022-05-20 17:03:03 -0400
  • Bruce Chan
    signed 2022-05-20 15:48:21 -0400
  • Eileen Flinn
    signed 2022-05-20 14:57:16 -0400
  • Robert D Hadden
    signed 2022-05-20 13:39:49 -0400
  • William Van Hoeven
    signed 2022-05-20 13:17:07 -0400
  • William Cumby
    signed 2022-05-20 10:21:45 -0400
  • Nancy Brevak
    signed 2022-05-20 09:21:39 -0400
  • Curvin Strausbaugh
    signed 2022-05-20 09:16:56 -0400
  • Edward Vaughan
    signed via 2022-05-20 08:58:20 -0400
  • Jose Gutierrez
    signed 2022-05-20 08:44:35 -0400
  • Chris Conrath
    signed 2022-05-20 08:39:30 -0400

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