Independent voters frustrated with closed primaries amid low voter turnout
Only 25% of registered voters in Erie County cast their ballots in the primary election on Tuesday, but thousands of independent voters in the county were not among them.
Pennsylvania is one of 10 states in the country with a closed primary election system, meaning over a million independent and third-party voters aren’t allowed to vote in primary elections.
One Erie County voter has switched her party affiliations throughout the years and recently registered as an independent, but when she showed up to vote on Tuesday, she was turned away.
“They said, ‘No, sorry, you’re an independent, you’re not allowed to vote today.’ Oh my gosh, I have such strong feelings about our community. I would love to participate in helping make these decisions. I don’t know why I’m getting alienated because I’m not participating in the two-party system,” said Vinni Sanfilippo, an independent voter from Millcreek Township.
Sanfilippo said she’s extremely frustrated with the system, and just because she doesn’t commit to a party doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about what’s on the ballot.
Another party-affiliated voter agreed and said that independents should be able to exercise their right to vote in primaries.
“I think they should have the right to vote. They can vote in the main election, and the whole election is paid by everybody, so their voice should be heard,” said Michael Sekerak, a party-affiliated voter.
However, some state lawmakers like Senator Dan Laughlin have been pushing to allow independents to vote in primary elections.
“Unaffiliated voters are the fastest-growing segment of our electorate, and that’s not by accident—both parties bear some responsibility for alienating voters, and in places like Erie, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Philadelphia, many are choosing to register with a party they don’t truly affiliate with just to have a voice in primary elections, which is why open primaries are essential to ensuring fair representation for all Pennsylvanians,” said Laughlin, Pennsylvania State Senator.
Laughlin is the prime sponsor of the proposed Senate Bill 400, which would allow non-affiliated voters to choose a party to vote with during the primaries.
As of now, that bill has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee, awaiting a vote.
“I’ve never done anything to be ostracized like this, and it feels extremely frustrating as a real American citizen to be in this position right now,” said Sanfilippo.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
Post a Comment for "Independent voters frustrated with closed primaries amid low voter turnout"
Post a Comment