HARRISBURG (AP) – Voters hoping to open up PA’s closed primary system to independents have asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to declare the current system in violation of the state constitution’s right to free and fair elections. Four independent voters asked the justices to take up the case directly, arguing that in many districts and in many races, including for the great majority of legislative seats, the primary elections among Republicans and Democrats are the only real contests, not the fall election. rs. PA is one of 14 states with closed primaries. PA’s nearly 8.9 million registered voters include some 3.8 million Democrats, 3.6 million Republicans, and about 1.4 million others. Similar lawsuits are also pending in Maryland, Wyoming, and Oregon.
