Independents Knock on the Primary Door
The state House voted 115-88 on Tuesday (Sept. 29) to let voters who aren't registered with a major party vote in Pennsylvania's primaries. Under House Bill 280, sponsored by Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia), an unaffiliated voter could choose one party's primary ballot but could not vote in party committee races.
Our House delegation split along party lines. Rep. Tarah Probst (D-189), a co-sponsor, and Rep. Maureen Madden (D-115) voted yes. Rep. Jack Rader (R-176) voted no. Sixteen Republicans statewide voted yes, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Joe Pittman says voting changes should come paired with expanded voter ID. Votebeat reports the bill faces long odds there. Meanwhile, more than 13% of Pennsylvania voters are now unaffiliated, and for now they still sit out every primary.
Worth being precise: this is not a true open primary. Independents would still have to pick one party's ballot, and party committee races would stay members-only. But it is a step toward giving centrist candidates a fighting chance. Today, primaries are decided by each party's most loyal members. Let in voters who belong to neither party, many of them moderates, and candidates can't win on the base alone.
