Independent Pennsylvanians Come Out in Force on Primary Day

Open Primaries SVP Jeremy Gruber and Director of National Organizing Cathy Stewart joined BallotPA, Independent Pennsylvanians , PA Veterans for All Voters, and all our fellow independent voters on the ground to hit the polls on primary election day and call for open primaries. 

Leaders of the reform effort-BallotPA Chair David Thornburgh, Independent Pennsylvanians Founder Jennifer Bullock, Students for BallotPA Chair Harry Hou and PA VAV leader Dennis Miller were all over the news on primary day. Check out all four interviewed by BllyPenn on why this issue is so critical and Jenn Bullock's interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.

And read the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Editorial Board's recent endorsement of Senate Bill 400 introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, which would allow independent voters to participate in an open primary:

A lot more coming out of PA–stay tuned!

Have Florida Democrats Seen the Light on Open Primaries?

In a stunning reversal of Party position, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried confirmed last week that her party is seriously considering opening their primaries to no-party-affiliation voters (NPA).

In 2020, when open primaries were on the ballot in Florida, Democratic party leadership did everything they could to kill it and prevent NPA voters from gaining full voting rights. 

In a new headline piece in the Orlando Sentinel, Open Primaries President John Opdycke and SVP Jeremy Gruber offer some context for the change of heart and advice for how they assure NPA voters that they’re actually interested in embracing them: 

“Florida NPAs have been around the block. They will not simply flock to the Democratic Party because the Party opens its primaries. They are looking for a real commitment to voter equality, to fairness, to inclusion. We hope Fried and the Florida Democratic Party are prepared to embrace those values.”

Read the full piece here. 

The Democratic Party and the Loss of Voter Trust

In 2023, Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips was ridiculed by the entire Democratic Party ecosystem for pointing out what became obvious: Joe Biden was way too old and infirm to run for reelection.  

Phillips insisted there should be a primary - let the voters decide. He was ignored. The ENTIRE Democratic Party was committed to anointing Biden. Until the debate ruined their plans.  

This story is not going away. Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new book Original Sin details the coverup and the role Biden played in virtually guaranteeing that Trump would be back for another term.  

Open Primaries President John Opdycke recently appeared on The New Democrats podcast (Youtube / Apple Podcast ) to discuss why the country is going independent, why voters don’t trust the Democratic Party, and the terrible decision to cancel the 2024 presidential primary. Please watch or listen and share with your networks.  

Independents Line up to Testify Before NYC Charter Revision Commission, The Demand to Open NYC Primaries Intensifies

This week, the Charter Revision Commission held its first meeting since the release of their preliminary report where they added primary reform to their list of priorities for consideration.

Dozens of independent voters showed up in force at the hearing at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn to testify. The overwhelming issue on the table? Reforming the primaries to allow the city’s 1.1 million independent voters the right to vote in the primaries.

Open Primaries Board members David Belmont and Dr. Jessie Fields joined local leaders including Assemblymember Robert Carroll, the Chair of Citizen’s Union and former CNN anchor John Avlon and Randy Peers, the President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, to offer testimony in support.

Some highlights:

Open Primaries also hit the streets of NYC all last week to check in with young voters to see how they feel about the growing gap between NYC’ voters and our elections and the overwhelming message was loud and clear: This is BS. It’s time to let all New Yorkers vote! 

If you live in NYC and have not yet testified before the Charter Revision Commission to urge them to open the primaries to independents, please reach [email protected] to find out the upcoming hearing dates and how you can make your voice heard!

New York, New York: If We Can We Make It Here…. A Conversation with John Avlon

Six months ago, it seemed like New York City would hold on to its outdated Boss-Tweed-style-closed-primary-election-system forever.  But then everything changed. New Yorkers spoke out and the recently appointed Charter Revision Commission listened. Primary reform is now squarely on the agenda in NYC - click here to read the Commission’s preliminary report.  

Independents and reformers tried to bring open primaries to NYC in 2002, 2003, and 2010, but we were chewed up and spit out by an entrenched establishment. But as the number of independent voters soared (well past one million now, twice as many as Republicans) and voter turnout declined, new possibilities began to emerge.    

On Wednesday May 28th at 11AM ET John Opdycke will sit down with John Avlon, an award-winning journalist, author, news anchor and media executive. He is a former CNN senior political analyst and anchor, editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, and the 2024 Democratic congressional nominee in New York’s First District. He currently hosts a solutions journalism podcast on The xxxxxx called “How to Fix It” and serves as the Chairman of Citizens Union, New York’s oldest good government group. John is a long time open primaries leader.

They will explore what’s changed, where we are in the process, and what a shift to open primaries could mean for NYC and the country.

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team