Pennsylvania has done little to change the way it runs its elections for decades but that may soon change. Interest is at an all-time high in the General Assembly in reforming the election process to engage more voter participation.
>@RussJDaniels
Russell Daniels
published Pa. lawmakers look to change laws to spur voter participation; 'It is time for voting reform’ in Open Primaries in the News
2019-08-18 20:17:44 -0400
-
Russell Daniels
published Open Primaries Newsletter (March 2018) in Newsletter
2019-04-01 16:03:37 -0400
-
Russell Daniels
published How Nebraskans think about their unicameral, nonpartisan political system in Blog
2015-07-02 15:51:01 -0400
Pa. lawmakers look to change laws to spur voter participation; 'It is time for voting reform’
Open Primaries Newsletter (March 2018)
Open Primaries collaborated with Spectrum News recently to host a live television town hall in Orlando to discuss primary reform.
Click here to watch the highlights or the full television town hall.
Open primaries has become a hot issue in Florida as people have been showing up by the dozen at hearings across the state to testify before the state’s Constitution Revision Commission and urge them to put open primaries on the 2018 ballot. The panel of experts included: Steve Hough (President of Florida Fair and Open Primaries), Professor Charles H. Rose (Stetson University College of Law), Glenn Burhans Jr. (Attorney and Florida election law expert) and Supervisors of Elections from Polk and Seminole Counties.
Open Primaries Hotlist Volume 18
A dramatic and unexpected victory for a Constitution Revision Commission open primaries proposal was swifty reversed by a second committee in what amounted to a backroom vote.
On January 26th, the Elections and Ethics Committee, which had been studying open primaries proposal 62 for months, voted to advance it in a 6 to 3 vote. The proposal, sponsored by Commissioner Bill Schifino, would have moved Florida from a closed primary system to an open “top two” primary system and fully enfranchised 3.4 million independent voters who are currently barred from voting in the state’s taxpayer funded primary elections. Non-partisan organizations such as the League of Women Voters joined the chorus of support before the Ethics and Elections Committee. The vote followed weeks of expert testimony, debate, and public comment.
The following Thursday, the General Provisions Committee shot down the proposal with less than an hour of discussion. Commissioner Schifino, Director of Fair and Open Primaries Steve Hough, OP Senior Vice President Jeremy Gruber, and All Voters Vote leader Glenn Burhans testified. They answered several questions from the committee, but the committee was unanimous in their decision to stop the progress of the proposal.
Open Primaries Hotlist 17
Recently, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission asked open primaries activists to present their case in support of Commissioner William Schifino’s open primary proposal. Steve Hough, Director of Florida Fair and Open Primaries and Jeremy Gruber, SVP of Open Primaries travelled to Tallahassee to share why opening up Florida’s closed primaries would be good for the voters and the state.
The Commission is currently debating the measure, which would allow Florida’s 3.4 million independent voters to pick a party ballot in the primary election. If the majority of the Commission supports it, the proposal will head to the 2018 ballot.
“In a recent poll 70% of Floridians supported open primaries - including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. 27% of Florida voters are independents that cannot vote in taxpayer funded primary elections. Florida is one of only nine states with completely closed primaries. The time has come for change and we ask that you put Commissioner Schifino’s open primary measure on the ballot in 2018 and let the voters decide.”
Missouri 2019 Signup
The Missouri House has voted to abolish open primaries and enforce partisan registration. This would be a major blow for the people of Missouri. A second vote is needed to go onto the Senate. If you’re in Missouri and interested in taking action in your state, please sign up and we will contact you soon.
Maryland Testimony
Testimony of Jeremy Gruber, Senior VP, Open Primaries
Maryland House of Delegates, Ways and Means Committee January 17, 2019
In Support of HB26 Baltimore City – Ranked Choice Voting and Open Primaries
On behalf of Open Primaries, I want to thank the Ways & Means Committee members for the opportunity to submit testimony in support of HB 26. Open Primaries is a national non-profit organization dedicated to more open and inclusive election systems.
Today, 85% of American cities use open primary or completely nonpartisan election systems to select municipal officials. 75% of the thirty largest cities in the U.S. use nonpartisan or open primaries. These include cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco and Boston. Baltimore’s current use of closed partisan primaries to elect local leaders is not only unfair and exclusionary. It is behind the times.
Baltimore, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a historic shift in political affiliation. Independents - now 42% of voters nationwide - are the fastest growing segment of voters in most states, including Maryland, and are shut out of voting in partisan primaries. A full 50% of millennials—currently the largest segment of voters— are now independents.
Closed, partisan primaries are being rejected nationally after 26.3 million independent voters were shut out of the 2016 presidential primaries. The undemocratic exclusion of independents from round one of the electoral process had been identified as a key driver of the hyper-partisanship at every level of government today. That’s why 70% of Americans now support open primaries and the Baltimore Sun has urged their adoption.
Baltimore is essentially a one party city. Though independent registration is growing, 79% of voters are currently registered as Democrats. Primary elections in Baltimore are often times the only competitive elections in the city. 50,000 registered voters in Baltimore—13% of all registered voters—are unaffiliated independents, and they are effectively disenfranchised from the elections that determine their elected leaders. That’s more voters than Republicans, Greens and Libertarians combined.
Baltimore’s system of elections just hasn’t kept up with the reality of voter affiliation today. Its partisan electoral system has failed to inspire competition and accountability, and allows election of public officials without the full inclusion of the electorate. Perhaps that’s why Baltimore routinely lags behind the already low voter turnout numbers in the rest of the state.
There’s a reason municipal elections are overwhelmingly open and nonpartisan across the country. Local governance is distinct from state and federal governance inasmuch as it tends to be more managerial and provision-oriented than focused on ideological policy making. Cities deal with resource redistribution at a much more local and regional scope. The problems local officials focus on include low-income housing, urban redevelopment, education, crime, social welfare services, environmental control and land use planning. Local officials must also be responsive to the public in situations where unified local needs and preferences diverge from state and national policy objectives. Exclusionary, partisan elections inject unnecessary partisanship into local political issues that should be free from them.
Finally, primary elections in the city of Baltimore are paid for by the taxpayers and should be open to everyone. If the political parties, which are private organizations, want to conduct closed elections, they should not ask the public to fund them.
Everyone benefits from a healthier, more inclusive political system that encourages competition. But at the very time that Baltimoreans are demanding innovation at all levels of government, they are saddled with an electoral system that impedes it. With an open, nonpartisan primary, all candidates are on the same ballot and all voters can participate. A wider variety of candidates are encouraged to run, having a greater likelihood of prevailing in open primaries, than in the current closed system. Once elected, representatives are further incentivized to reach out to and govern for all their constituents.
Instead of lagging behind the rest of the nation, Baltimore and Maryland have the opportunity to lead. We urge this Committee to support HB26 and give Baltimore the tools it needs to move forward with more inclusive and democratic elections.
# # #
Contact: Jeremy Gruber
www.openprimaries.org
jgruber@openprimaries.org
Donate to the movement
Open Primaries Advocacy is a national organization working to enact open primaries and educate the public about benefits of the reform. We represent a national movement of people who believe no American should be required to join a political party to exercise their right to vote. Grassroots donations from our supporters is vital to the success of our cause.
Please make a donation to support the work that we do!
Open Primaries Advocacy is a 501(c)4 nonprofit, therefore donations are not tax-deductible.
Updates from the movement
Nebraska has a state legislature that is 71% republican. What does that mean to you? That kind of figure would usually imply a lot of things. It's a red state. Conservative values are upheld and republicans call the shots. But that is not what's going on in Nebraska. Nebraska's state legislature can serve as a real example and model of democracy and political innovation. This is a positive example of how a state legislature can be effective. Real, tough conversations can be had without the whole system shutting down over partisanship. It breaks down the simple, archaic notion of "red states" vs. "blue states," because in Nebraska real stuff is getting done.
Rand Paul pays for his Cake…
Senator Rand Paul just paid a lot of money to change election law in Kentucky. People throw around the phrase “buying an election” a lot but never has a phrase been more appropriate. Paul wants to be able to run for President and also keep his Senate seat. Under Kentucky law that wasn’t allowed, so Paul decided he would pay a lot of money to change the rules. Kentucky is switching over from the primary system to a caucus. The senator has already paid $250,000 and has promised at least another $200,000 to the Kentucky GOP.
The Latest From The Movement
Omaha, Nebraska. Home of great steak, Warren Buffet and a truly unique political structure unlike any other in the United States. Nebraska has a unicameral, nonpartisan legislature that has allowed motions from both parties to be passed in recent years.
Progressive reforms like repealing the death penalty, increasing rights for gay and lesbian workers and expanding the use of medical marijuana have all gotten traction in Nebraska! What?!?! Nebraska?! That's a red state! How is that possible? How is this madness happening?!
Nebraska's unicameral and nonpartisan system was most recently explored by Open Primaries Intern, Samantha Serrano. So, when I was given the chance to spend some time in Omaha, I decided I wanted to speak with some real Nebraskans and get their perspective.