Several bills are being introduced in Pennsylvania that would let independent voters choose a partisan primary ballot. They are HB 976, HB 979, and HB 400. See this story. The reporter used the wrong term for these bills. They would set up semi-closed primaries, not “open primaries.” An “open primary” has been defined in U.S. Supreme Court opinions for 50 years as a system in which parties have primary ballots and party nominees, but on primary election day, any voter can choose any party’s primary ballot.
Why not leave it up to the parties?
I don’t see why not, but they should pay for, choose, and administer their own candidate selection process, whatever that is. Max also makes a good case that losing parties don’t really need to pick officeholders, and that when there’s a standing count of the voters in a precinct who stand with each party precinct captain on election night, the party with the most voters standing should then pick the officeholders.
Does Pennsylvania have registration by party?
Wouldn’t that be a purge list?
Yes, Pennsylvania has partisan voter registration.
Did they purge anyone yet?