October 02, 2026
Neil Strebig/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Advocates for open primaries have argued that the current system disenfranchises people who choose to join an alternative political party or remain independent. Above, empty voting booths are spread out inside New Freedom Community Center in New Freedom during Pennsylvania's primary election in 2020.
A bill to allow independent and third-party voters to cast ballots in Pennsylvania primary elections passed this week in the state House.
Despite the 115-88 vote, the legislation attracted opposition on both sides of the aisle from lawmakers who argued the primaries are the exclusive domain of the parties to nominate candidates for the general elections.
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State Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia), who is the measure's prime sponsor, said opening the commonwealth's primaries would correct an injustice for 1.5 million unaffiliated voters that has existed since the state Election Code was made law in 1937.
"Our election system has all the gloss and feel of being open to voters throughout Pennsylvania, there are our community centers, our synagogues, our mosques, our churches, our civic institutions that welcome people," Solomon said. "Yet these voters are counted out each and every election."
Solomon's bill was introduced in 2025 but not reported out of the House State Government Committee until Monday. It now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.
Advocates for open primaries have argued that the current system disenfranchises groups including about 400,000 Pennsylvania veterans and nearly two-thirds of young adults who choose to join an alternative political party or remain independent. The commonwealth is one of just 10 states with closed primaries.
"This year, we can bring in those veterans, those young people, and those that diverse coalition of voters into the civic fabric of Pennsylvania," Solomon said.
But Rep. Wendy Fink (R-York) argued that the commonwealth's general elections are open to every U.S. citizen who registers to vote and Solomon's bill would actually alter the nomination process.
"The primary is not an election in the purest form," Fink said, adding that allowing non-party voters to participate in primaries would add complexity to elections.
Although the measure passed with 16 Republicans voting "yea," Democratic support was not unanimous.
Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) echoed Fink's argument and added that independent voters choose to exclude themselves from the partisan process. Vitali said in conversations with some independent voters, they told him they find it distasteful to be affiliated with either party.
"I find it very inconsistent on the part of those people … who find it too distasteful to be affiliated with a party, yet at the same time want a voice in choosing its standard bearer," he said. "That's just inconsistent."
One lawmaker compared the spring elections to football draft picks.
"It would be really bad if, when the NFL draft came along, that my Eagles would allow some person from the Steelers to make their draft picks," said Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon).
But Democratic Whip Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) said every elected official should be working to make government participation easier for constituents. And he rejected the notion that voters who want to participate in primaries should just pick a party.
"Our job is to do everything we can to expand the franchise and to make sure that our citizens have an easier pathway to communicate with us, an easier pathway to influence our decisions because that is a core tenet of democracy," he said.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.
