Pennsylvanian liberty and open primaries

An op-ed in R Street by Jonathan Madison outlines why Pennsylvania needs a semi-open primary.

Pennsylvania’s closed primary election system, unfortunately, silences too many of its citizens. There are approximately 1.3 million partyless voters—almost 15% of registered voters—who remain shut out of the primary process. This outdated system harms voters, candidates, and parties alike – which has consequences for public policy in the commonwealth – and it’s time for it to go. Fortunately, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has an opportunity this session with the recently introduced Senate Bill 400.

This bill, sponsored by Republican State Senator Daniel Laughlin, would improve Pennsylvania’s primary system by allowing voters who are not affiliated with any party to vote in the primary of one party of their choice. Members of parties would still be required to vote in the primary of their chosen party, but independents who lean one way or another would now be allowed to make their voice heard in this critical stage of the electoral process. This system is preferred by approximately 77% of Pennsylvania registered voters.