Leaders in Louisiana Twist Themselves in Knots Transitioning to Partisan Primaries 

ICYMI: Last year Louisiana passed legislation to move from nonpartisan primaries to open partisan primaries for congressional races and certain state offices; despite opposition from many corners. Originally, the legislation was intended to completely close the primaries, but as the story of independent voters became more elevated (particularly African-American independents) the legislation was amended to include independents in primary elections. 

Now officials are working to implement new rules and laws out of fear that voter participation in the state’s elections is on the verge of plummeting.

Even before their first election under the new system, Louisiana is already becoming a poster-child for the negative effects of choosing closed over open systems.

Independents Continue to Speak Out

NYC: When the New York City Charter Revision Commission started holding public hearings earlier this year, they had no idea what was in store for them. Scores of independent voters and concerned New Yorkers have called on the Commission to open NYC’s closed primaries to the over 1,000,000 independent voters in the five boroughs

This week Staten Island resident (and Open Primaries National Organizer) Danny Battista wrote about his recent experience testifying before the NYC Charter Revision Commission hearing on government reform in support of open primaries:

25% of all registered voters on Staten Island are independents - that’s the highest percentage of independents within the five boroughs. 

Kentucky: 

A group of independent voters in Kentucky are teaming up with the TheCivicLex Project to reach out to young voters across the state and educate them on primary reform.

Longtime Open Primaries supporter Mark Ritter went to Tates Creek High School last week to share results from Students for Open Primaries Young People Survey and talk to young people about the important role primaries play in our election system.

Next month Pennsylvania is set to hold primary elections that will shut out 1.4 million PA voters. For a decade, our friends in PA (Ballot PA, Independent Pennsylvanians) have been working around the clock to build support in the state legislature, educate voters, and make something happen in one of the country’s key closed primary states. They have helped pass an open primary bill in both the House and Senate but in separate sessions.

Now BallotPA Chair David Thornburgh has a new piece in the The Philadelphia Citizen on why reforming PA’s primaries is so important to him and many of the other citizens fighting to let all voters vote: 

It’s a problem that will only grow worse as time goes on and as David points out the research shows that independent voters are “the fastest-growing segment of the Pennsylvania electorate, growing at a 5% faster rate than Republican registrations, and 23% faster than Democratic registrations.”

On Tuesday, May 6 from 6-7 p.m. Spotlight PA will host a discussion on Zoom titled: Will PA. ever let independents vote in primaries? A live conversation about how open primaries would impact Pennsylvania, what we can learn from other states, and where the conversation stands in the legislature.

Our friend and OP spokesperson, Jennifer Bullock (Independent Pennsylvanians) will be one of the featured speakers–if you’re a PA voter or someone looking to get more involved we highly encourage you to attend. 

For more information on the state of open primary legislation in PA and the great work of Ballot PA check out this week’s in depth expose in Spotlight PA.

New Mexico’s Move to Open Primaries in the News

On Wednesday, NM Open Elections (NMOE) held a press conference at the Capitol to celebrate the passage of legislation to open the primaries to New Mexico’s over 340,000 registered independent voters. The change takes effect in the 2026 primaries, when all statewide offices are up for election.

Sila Avcil, the Executive Director of NMOE and NM Voters First, chaired the press conference which included Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, and Representative Cristina Parajón, among others.  The Secretary of State shared that she had previously opposed the idea of open primaries, but changed her mind after she served as Bernalillo County clerk and had to turn independent voters away at the polls. 

The Albuquerque Journal wrote a substantive piece released nationally by Yahoo crediting, among other things, the litigation brought by Open Primaries in NM for helping lay the foundation for the bill’s success. The article leads with an interview with Let Us Vote activist Rodzaiah Curtis talking about what he sees among younger Native American voters who feel disillusioned, “We don’t want to be forced into choosing Republican or Democrat. We are independent because of the division.

Another Let US Vote independent activist, Mike Michalski, attended the press conference. He described his experience trying to vote in primaries and feeling forced to “jump through hoops”. Mike told the Journal, “I’m one of those that have never felt comfortable in either party.”

Check out additional coverage by KOB TV of the press conference:

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team