Lawmakers again pushing to open Pennsylvania's closed primary elections

Apr. 21—HARRISBURG — As the current primary election season continues, Pennsylvania lawmakers renewed efforts to open future spring elections in the commonwealth to the mass of voters who have no party affiliation.

The commonwealth is one of nine states that have closed primaries. Republicans vote among Republican candidates. Democrats vote among their own, too.

There are 928,181 registered voters in Pennsylvania who don't belong to a political party, according to the latest available voter registration data. Another 349,314 voters are registered with a third party. When combined, they represent nearly 15% of the commonwealth's entire electorate.

None vote in primary elections except when ballot questions, proposed constitutional amendments and special elections are scheduled.

The rule could prove confusing in the case of special elections scheduled the same day as a primary. Such is the case in Legislative Districts 108 and 165 where special House elections are set for May 16, primary election day. Non-affiliates can vote in special elections but will find their ballots limited to those races alone.

Primary election participation would change if proposals introduced in the General Assembly this legislative session became law.

Move would let parties court more voters sooner

State Rep. Marla Brown, R-Lawrence, offered House Bill 976. The full bill text wasn't yet online, however, Brown said her bill would open primaries to non-affiliated voters. They'd choose in which primary to participate, Republican or Democrat. The bill wouldn't apply to voters registered with a minor party outside of the big two.

The first-term conservative lawmaker said that opening primaries would allow Republicans to court independent voters sooner. The same would apply to Democrats, of course, and she said perhaps the end result would bring about broader bipartisanship and better legislating on the whole.

From a strategic party perspective, Brown thinks this could be one path for Republicans to regain majority control of the state House.

"This is a bipartisan issue, in my opinion, on which we should easily meet in the middle of the road. We've got to find common ground in the House if we're going to be able to represent this state in the best way. This allows me to reach over to the other side and participate with them on something that, in my opinion, is a fairly easy issue," Brown said.

Democratic state Representatives Jared Solomon and Chris Raab, both representing parts of Philadelphia, introduced House Bill 979. It also seeks to allow non-party affiliates to vote in primaries. Like Brown, the lawmakers said in their co-sponsorship memo that such voters pay taxes that help fund elections and should have their votes counted each spring.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan measure from Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin, Erie, and Democrat state Sen. Lisa Boscola, Lehigh/Northampton, will be introduced. House Bill 400 serves to enact what's sought in the bills referenced above. It proposes steps to the commonwealth's election system to ensure such voters aren't registered with a particular party when they opt to vote in either a Republican or Democratic primary. Independents wouldn't get votes, however, for party officers or state committee members.

None of the measures would allow Republicans or Democrats to vote in primary elections outside their respective parties.

Long-sought legislation

Open primaries have been sought in Pennsylvania for some time. David Thornburgh with Ballot PA said momentum is building. He points to a 2019 vote in the state Senate where an open primary bill easily advanced to the House. It received no further consideration but stands to show there can be support for such a measure.

"I think each time the tide comes in a little further. For a variety of reasons, I think this is the year the tide comes all the way in," Thornburgh said.

Maybe. Maybe not. SpotlightPA reported on efforts to open primary elections this year and in doing so, found opposition in state Sen. Cris Dush, R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter. He chairs the Senate's State Government Committee. Efforts to open primaries would go through that committee at some point. Dush told the outlet that he's not keen on open primaries.

Thornburgh isn't deterred. Registration of independent voters grew by 87,986 since the 2018 primary, state data shows. He said they're the last swing votes available as politics are increasingly partisan. About half of U.S. military veterans identify as politically independent, he said, and 41 other states have proven an open primary in some form is viable.

The Pennsylvania House is presently divided by a single seat. There's no room for error in obtaining or retaining the legislative majority. Both major parties should have heightened interest in winning over independent voters, Thornburgh said. Get them in early, he said, and make them feel like they're a part of the process.

"If we were to let them into each primary, that gives each party the opportunity to do that," Thornburgh said.