What to know about the push for open primaries in Pennsylvania
- Jul 9
- 1 min read
A 2024 Spotlight PA analysis found that the vast majority of state legislative races on the ballot that year were decided in the primary.
Proponents of opening up Pennsylvania’s primaries argue that this pattern effectively creates a system where the 1.4 million voters who aren’t registered with a major party cannot meaningfully participate in local elections.
And “your tax dollars to pay for that primary election regardless,” said Lauren Cristella, president of the Philadelphia-based good government group Committee of Seventy, which favors opening the state’s primaries. “So it’s also an issue of taxation without representation.”
Another key argument is that it would increase voter turnout. The May 20 municipal primary saw about 20% of registered voters participate. A study from the Bipartisan Policy Center found that when states open their primaries to unaffiliated voters, turnout increases by 5 percentage points.
Research also suggests opening primaries can result in more ideologically moderate candidates.
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