Shawn Griffiths
HARRISBURG, PENN. - Pennsylvania Voters First, a project of Unite America, announced new poll data that found strong majorities among Pennsylvanians that believe the state's 1.4 million independent voters should have access to taxpayer-funded primary elections.
The poll, conducted by Ragnar Research Partners, included 800 likely voters who were surveyed between March 15 and March 17.
During a recent webinar, Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano said Pennsylvania “has one of the very worst primary problems of any state in the country," citing research his organization has conducted that examines the impact of partisan primaries across the US.
Troiano explained that 95% of state House seats in the 2024 election cycle were noncompetitive, which means they were effectively decided during the primaries. What's worse, 81% of the races did not feature an opposing candidate to the incumbent or majority party.
As a result, only 8% of Pennsylvania voters cast a meaningful vote in 2024. “That’s a big challenge for representation in the state, for our democracy, and that’s something that, fortunately, can change,” Troiano said.
Polling data shows that voters at-large would welcome reform to the state's primary elections -- specifically, when it comes to ensuring that independent voters have an equal and meaningful say in the most critical stages of the taxpayer-funded elections process.
For example, Ragnar Research found that 72% of Pennsylvania voters are concerned that the state's registered independent voting population does not have access to primary elections, including 58% of Republicans, 81% of Democrats, and 83% of independents.
Further, when respondents were asked specifically about allowing independent participation in primary elections, 82% said they supported making primaries more inclusive, and 69% said they would support a semi-open primary law, including 74% of independents.
Under a semi-open partisan primary system, independent voters are allowed to choose whatever party primary ballot they want. Registered party members have to vote in their respective party's primaries (e.g. a registered Republican has to vote in the Republican primary).
Legislation has been introduced in the state legislature to enact such primary election changes. House Bill 280 was introduced by Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia and has more than 20 other co-sponsors. Sens. Daniel Laughlin and Lisa Boscola are pushing similar legislation in the Senate.
“Registering as a Democrat or Republican should not be a prerequisite to enjoy full voting rights here in Pennsylvania,” Boscola said. “It’s time we fix this. Allowing independents to vote in primary elections is not just fair – it ensures that all Pennsylvanians have the freedom to choose the leaders who represent them.”