Take Action: Sign Ballot PA's Petition

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.

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Scott Sangrey signed 2022-05-11 18:09:35 -0400
Jim Altenbach signed 2022-05-11 17:47:55 -0400

Don’t start flooding me with emails. I signed the petition and that should all be that you are interested in.
Laurel Sato signed 2022-05-11 17:29:44 -0400
Maclain Todd signed 2022-05-11 17:27:33 -0400
Brian Shingle signed 2022-05-11 15:58:43 -0400
Catherine Mott signed 2022-05-11 15:22:46 -0400
Robin Werkema signed 2022-05-11 14:19:13 -0400
Jerry King Musser signed 2022-05-11 13:42:04 -0400

I’m completely FOR this… however, I had better not get even MORE texts and phone calls about politics because I’ve signed.
Anthony Lombardy signed 2022-05-11 12:03:14 -0400
Sean Werkema signed 2022-05-11 11:21:21 -0400

In 2016, I changed my party affiliation to “independent,” knowing full well that I was sacrificing my ability to vote by doing it. It was a principled position; but at the same time, it was also a choice I should not have had to make: If Pennsylvania had open primaries, I could have followed my conscience without losing my rights. I wholeheartedly support #RepealClosedPrimaries!
Cynthia Straight signed 2022-05-11 10:51:00 -0400
Justin Allen signed via Danny Bauder 2022-05-11 10:12:30 -0400
Bryan Reid signed via Danny Bauder 2022-05-11 10:01:13 -0400
Danny Bauder signed 2022-05-11 09:43:40 -0400
Charlette Stout signed 2022-05-11 09:24:24 -0400
Donna Landis signed 2022-05-11 09:19:24 -0400
Kay Gehman signed 2022-05-11 09:11:12 -0400
Steve Teufel signed 2022-05-11 09:06:54 -0400
Linda Connor signed 2022-05-11 09:06:53 -0400
Karen Chesbro signed 2022-05-11 08:28:29 -0400
Dina Taylor signed 2022-05-11 08:14:52 -0400
Richard Ringer signed 2022-05-11 08:01:56 -0400

I am the Democratic candidate to represent the 51st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Every person’s vote should count, and I support making voting easier for everyone, no matter their political ideology.
Robert Marino signed 2022-05-11 06:29:00 -0400
Patrick Witmer signed 2022-05-11 00:03:42 -0400
Mark Orr signed 2022-05-10 23:42:51 -0400
Joe Pessin signed via JoLynne Brazzo 2022-05-10 22:43:59 -0400

How the “open” system is to function is as important to improving our elections as is repealing the current closed system.

Beyond that we need to have singular cross party primaries where all party candidate are in a single ballot for anyone to vote for.

Allowing independents to vote is generally a good thing (I only party affiliate to vote against a candidate in the primary) but making them choose which party primary to participate is not.

Then we should be using a Conorcet system of tabulation (form of ranked choice) to send all that received greater than 20% to the general election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condorcet_method

Other forms of ranked choice have issues which eliminate more popular candidates earlier in the process

The problem with the open binary primary where independents or anyone can vote for either (but not both) slate of party (Democrat or Republican -ignoring minor parties) as I understand it is as follows:

Let’s say each party has an extremist and a more moderate candidate. Let’s assume in general, the independents will favor one of the two moderate candidates from either party. Lets’ say in one, the Democrats, it looks like the moderate candidate is going to win comfortably. People who favor that candidate may feel it is to their advantage to vote for the Republican slate of primary candidates and vote for the extremist thinking it will help their candidate in the general election. Simply put there is too much incentive for people to play games and try to trick the system.

The best way I have seen to avoid that is a ranked choice single primary system where the winners are chosen using a Condorcet method.
Chris Cera signed 2022-05-10 21:15:19 -0400
Larry Pritt signed 2022-05-10 20:25:59 -0400
Richard Fisher signed via Cheryl Fisher 2022-05-10 19:59:26 -0400
Maxwell Segale signed 2022-05-10 19:20:03 -0400

I would like to participate in the primary election

Repeal Closed Primaries

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.

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