HARRISBURG – Independent voters would be allowed to cast ballots in party nomination primaries under bills approved by the PA House State Government Committee. The bills passed with support only from Democrats and were advanced toward a full House vote. Currently, PA has a closed primary system, meaning that only voters registered with a given party can vote in that party’s primary election. Voters who are unaffiliated are prohibited from voting in a primary. House Bills 976 and 979 would allow independent voters to choose which political party primary they want to vote in. Electors would be able to vote for the party nomination for public office candidates, but not elect candidates for party offices. Over 1 million Pennsylvanians are not affiliated with either major party, making them the fastest-growing demographic within the state’s electorate.
