Independent and unaffiliated voters in Pennsylvania continue to protest the state’s primary laws – saying the state’s voting laws exclude them unfairly from primary elections. On Tuesday morning, a small group gathered to march around Center City and speak out.
Pennsylvania is one of nine states that prohibit independent and unaffiliated voters from participating in primary elections – what’s known as “closed primaries.”
This issue is “far-reaching,” said David Thornburgh, the chair of the Ballot PA Campaign to End Closed Primaries, after the march ended on South Broad Street, not far from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
“There are 1.4 million independent voters in Pennsylvania that cannot participate in these elections, and we think that’s unfair, and it’s wrong and damaging to the process,” he said.
Thornburgh, the former president and CEO of Philly’s Committee of Seventy, emphasized being able to vote in local elections is crucial – as these elected offices determine how basic services are provided to the community. In Philadelphia, many elected offices are not contested by both parties, so primary elections are essentially choosing the winner of the general election.
“Folks are voting for local offices, like district attorney, controller and local judges,” he said. “This isn’t ‘50,000-foot’ presidential or gubernatorial elections. These are folks that really influence the quality of life and the value of this city and the fact that 150,000 tax-paying, Independent voters [in Philadelphia] can’t participate in that process, it’s just shameful.”
These laws can be unfair to groups like veterans, where there are large numbers of independent voters, said Dennis Miller, the lead for Pennsylvania Veterans for All Voters.
“If I’m good enough to serve my country, I should be able to vote whenever they open the polls,” he said.
Separate party and voting
Miller explains that independent voters should be able to voice their opinions. He said being an unaffiliated voter simply means shedding labels and voting for whoever is “getting the work done.”
“If I’m concerned with the work that’s being done, that’s one thing, and being concerned about the party and the politics are something different,” he said. “If I can separate the two, then that’s what I want to do. The parties and politics I have no interest in. My interest is in who’s getting the work done.”
It isn’t always possible to align with a single party on all issues or candidates, said Harry Hou, a student at Swarthmore College.
“I am an unaffiliated voter,” he said. “I do it not because I reject the Democrats or the Republicans, but just that I’m coming in with an open mind. I don’t have a strong slate of positions that align with either party.”
As a college student, Hou said he feels strongly about empowering young voters. He said the current political climate has made a lot of young voters opt for the independent route.
“A lot of young people go into the polls or to learn about the issues out there without preconceived notions,” he said. “Sometimes, parents and family members tell us about how to vote and what political positions are right. But I think a lot of people are coming of age in a time where political discourse is fragmented and we are all trying to figure out what it means to be citizens in this world, and many of us think being unaffiliated is just the right path.”
Stifled voices
The closed primary rule came from Pennsylvania’s 1937 Election Code. While initially intended as a way to reform and simplify the voting process, it has turned into a restrictive and unfair process, said Jennifer Bullock, coordinator of Independent Pennsylvanians.
“What it’s become is that the parties have taken over the primary and do not allow other voices, even though it’s a publicly funded election, and this is the first round of elections,” she said.
Thornburgh explained the groups rallied together Tuesday partially out of frustration over this structure.
“I guess the most frustrating point is that independent voters help pay for these elections and still don’t get to participate,” he said.
Thornburgh emphasized the need for change in the future.
“Here in the birthplace of liberty, where we have an Independence Hall, it’s particularly frustrating that we’re locking out independents.”
Group members say the general reactions among voters and those passing by the protests were positive and supportive of independent voters participating in primaries.
There have been two bills introduced this legislative session to address opening the primary system – one in the House and one in the Senate. However, the bills come with stipulations. For example, a House bill introduced by Democratic leadership would allow unaffiliated voters to participate in the Democratic or Republican primary, but would not allow voters registered to third parties to participate in primary elections.
If passed, these bills could lead to more open primaries in the future. Bullock said she is hopeful.
“We are getting closer and closer to repealing closed primaries,” she said.
Miller emphasized that the groups are not asking for much.
“I’m not asking for a whole lot,” he said. “I just want to vote.”
