LTE: PA Needs Open Primaries

A Philadelphian advocates for open primaries, writing, "Welcome to 2026. The midterms are here, and the political establishment is already wringing its hands about youth turnout. We’ll hear the same old story: Young voters are “apathetic.”

But the system insists this is a motivation issue, when it is clearly a design flaw.

In Pennsylvania, 91% of state legislative races are effectively decided in the primary — an election 1.4 million non-party affiliated voters are legally barred from. By November, the outcome is often predetermined. For my generation, the “general” election is often just a formality.

Closed systems create closed futures. Sixty-one percent of young voters now reject the two-party system, yet Pennsylvania’s rules separate decision-­making from the people. We pay taxes to fund these primaries, yet we are shut out of the booth.

The fight for access is happening now."