Pennsylvania Voters First Releases New Poll Showing Strong Support for Semi-Open Primary Elections in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Voters First has released new data showing that Pennsylvanians across the political spectrum believe unaffiliated voters should be allowed to vote in primary elections. The poll, conducted by Ragnar Research Partners on behalf of Unite America, surveyed 800 likely voters from March 15-17 of this year. 

Of those participants, 82% were in favor of having semi-open primaries in Pennsylvania to allow registered independents to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary elections, with 64% expressing strong support. There is significant support among both political parties and among independents, and across every region of the state.  

“Too many Pennsylvanians have no real say in who represents them. Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts—but truly matters,” said Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America. “This poll makes it clear: Pennsylvanians are demanding better than ‘elections in name only.’ Allowing independents to vote in primaries would be a major step toward a more representative democracy.”

Currently, the state’s primary election system leaves out nearly 1.35 million non-affiliated and independent voters, a number that has been rising in recent years. This creates the unfairness of turning away voters who are supporting the primary elections through their tax dollars. 

The enabling legislation to make Pennsylvania primaries semi-open is a bipartisan bill authored by Republican state senator Dan Laughlin (R-146) and Democrat state senator Lisa Boscola (D-18).

“Limited primary participation isn’t a way to produce good options from which to choose in general elections,” said Senator Laughlin. “Giving more people the opportunity to have a voice in their representation is an important step toward ensuring democracy.”

Pennsylvania’s municipal primary is on May 20, and fall municipal elections will take place on November 4. Due to cross-filing, some of these positions will only be contested in the spring primary. 

“There are nearly 1.4 million Pennsylvania voters currently excluded from voting in the primaries. Many times there will not be a competitive general election, so these voters will not have an opportunity to weigh in at all on these consequential elections like school board members, judges and so many others,” said Senator Boscola. “Registering as a Democrat or Republican should not be a prerequisite to enjoy full voting rights here in Pennsylvania. It’s time we fix this. Allowing independents to vote in primary elections is not just fair—it ensures that all Pennsylvanians have the freedom to choose the leaders who represent them.”

Veterans groups - like Veterans for All Voters - are advocating for semi-open primaries in Pennsylvania to ensure that veterans - who are disproportionately impacted by closed primaries- have the chance to make their voices heard.

"Veterans don’t stop serving when we come home. We step up in our communities, our schools, and in our elections. But in Pennsylvania, over a million independent voters—including hundreds of thousands of veterans—are shut out of the very primaries their tax dollars fund. That’s not right, and this bill is a chance to fix it,” said Eric Bronner, Founder and COO of Veterans for All Voters.

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Pennsylvania Voters First is a campaign to advance nonpartisan electoral reform through issue advocacy, electoral engagement, and coalition building to put voters first and foster a more representative and functional government. Pennsylvania Voters First is a project of Unite America.