73% of DC Voters Voted to Enact Open Primaries But the Fight Continues to Make It a Reality 

Initiative 83 was approved by a supermajority of DC voters in every Ward last November. But a fight is brewing to make sure the DC City Council upholds the will of the voters and allocates funding to implement the initiative. 

Dozens of DC voters showed up to a Budget Oversight Hearing this week to demand satisfaction. Initiative 83 Founder Lisa Rice laid out precisely how important it is that DC voters are listened to and Initiative 83 is funded and implemented: 

“Voters are rejecting the authoritarian impulses of politicians who believe they know better than their constituents. Failing to fund Initiative 83 would send precisely the wrong message to voters fighting to preserve democracy. In voting for Initiative 83, D.C. voters cast aside the partisan primaries imposed on us by Congress when it originally granted us home rule. We chose self determination built with our neighbors, not a closed system handed down to us from elected officials in other states.”

Watch her full testimony:

Are you a DC resident? If so, please email your Councilmember, tell them you are a DC voter, and ask them to support full funding and implementation of Initiative 83. Click here to find your Councilmembers' contact information. To find your Ward, click here. For those who want to go the extra mile, please reach out to every At-Large Councilmember. They should see the support from all over the District!

Rumble in the Bronx

On Tuesday, the NYC Charter Revision Commission held its latest hearing and the fight for reform is only intensifying. Now that they appear to be indicating their support for open primaries, opposition is starting to show up. New America, the Working Families Party, the NYC Central Labor Council, and Citizen’s Action all argued that the Commission should leave the primaries closed.   

They were outshown, though, by Independents and open primaries advocates from across the city and the country that showed up. Leaders from Alaska testified about the experience of the move to a nonpartisan system. Independents from all five boroughs appeared in person and via zoom to urge the Commission to allow independent voters to have full primary voting rights.

Gwen Mandell, Director of Leadership Development at Open Primaries testified about her experience working with thousands of independents over the years. She commented that:

…”Despite what the media and pundits report, these are educated, informed voters who can make a difference in bettering our democracy.We need open primaries now in New York so that we can have competitive healthy elections where all voters can participate. One final note, as you explore different forms of open primaries, I would ask that you don't make complicated and unpassable what is very simple-just let independents vote. Let’s do it now!”

You can watch the full hearing here. 

ICYMI – Check out Jeremy Gruber, SVP at Open Primaries on News12 NY Power and Politics for a discussion on open primaries. Gruber makes the point that 85% of US cities use a form of open primaries. He noted: 

“There are really two major changes in the American electorate and American elections that are fueling open primaries. The first is the massive growth of independent voters. Independents are now the largest and fastest growing group of voters in the country….And that is having immense pressure on a political system and an election system that was really not designed with them in mind. The second thing that is happening is the complete precipitous drop of competitiveness in our general elections….The primary elections in this country and in this city are really where the most meaningful votes happen.”

The Charter Revision Commission has TWO hearings left before they make their decision on whether to advance an open primary proposal to the November ballot. If you live in NYC and have not testified yet, sign up today  or email [email protected] to find out how you can make your voice heard.

Our Legal Fight in Maryland is Getting People Talking

As we shared last week, The Open Primaries Education Fund, in partnership with Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC, one of Maryland’s leading law firms, has filed a lawsuit in Maryland on behalf of five plaintiffs across the state against the Maryland State Board of Elections, challenging the State’s closed primary elections as unconstitutional.   

The case is already provoking change. A new group in Maryland called Annapolitans for a Better Community has formed and is now collecting signatures to place a question on the November ballot that would open the primaries in that city. Chairman of the group Bill Kardash shared why the city of Annapolis and the state of Maryland must address this issue:

Our case has been covered in publications across the country with over a dozen publications carrying the story, including features in the Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun, and the former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, our counsel representing the plaintiffs, went on Fox 45 News to lay out why this lawsuit matters to Maryland independents. 

Exciting things happening in Maryland–stay tuned!

OPINION: Time for Change in Oklahoma

The campaign to open Oklahoma’s primaries to all voters (SQ 836) contiinues to gain serious traction. 

In a new opinion piece in the Oklahoman, David High–a lifelong Oklahoman and attorney in Oklahoma City shares why it’s time for real change in the Sooner state: 

“The consequences of our broken primary system are evident. Oklahoma’s voter turnout is among the lowest in the country because people feel disenfranchised — locked out of elections that are often decided long before November. When most races are effectively determined in low-turnout primaries, the general election becomes an afterthought, leaving independent voters and moderate voices unheard. This disillusionment has led to a growing disconnect between elected officials and the people they are supposed to serve.”

Read his full piece here. 

Growth of Independent Voters in Kentucky

For the 3rd month in a row Kentucky is seeing growth among voters outside the two major parties. Kentucky voters registering as “other” are outpacing both Republican and Democratic registration combined.

As a reminder, Kentucky is in the minority of states with fully closed primaries–so as the number of independent voters continues to grow, more and more of these voters will be shut out of the first round of elections.

New Jersey Independent Voters stopped by the Hasbrouck Heights Street Fair to survey New Jersey voters about their opinions on NJ’s current primary system. 

A whopping 82% polled said they support open primaries over New Jersey’s current closed system.

Currently, 46% of NJ voters are independent and barred from voting in primaries. NJ Independent Voters is continuing their survey online–if you’re a NJ voter we encourage you to take 2 minutes and fill out here. 

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team