NYC – All Eyes on the Charter Revision Commission

With the release of the Charter Revision Commission’s preliminary report last week, which explores the adoption of primary reform in NYC, there is heightened media attention on the potential for open primaries to be placed on the November ballot. There has been a flurry of articles from AMNY to The New York Post to The New York Times and NY1 with headlines focusing on two components of the Commission’s report – housing reform and primary reform.

As the New York Times put it:

“Over the next few months, members of the 13-person commission will debate the ideas, many of which are contentious, and may even choose to put nothing on the ballot. But the report shows that the commission is thinking about changes that could have a significant impact on the future of the city.”

The Commission starts a next round of hearings on May 19th at Medgar Evers College, and wraps up in Harlem on July 9th. We’ll be out in force organizing independents to attend in person and on zoom and submit written testimony. The next few hearings are critical – we have to convince the Charter Revision to not just consider but to act and place a proposal before the voters this fall.

If you can testify in person, reach out to [email protected] for all the details. If you can’t attend, you can submit testimony online through our partners at New York City Open Primaries.

Wyoming GOP Leaders Caught Between Power and Independence

The Wyoming Republican Party has been arguing that certain statutes, including those related to primary elections, violate their right to freedom of association. In a new piece in Cowboy State Daily, Gail Symons lays out what this is really about:

“What the Wyoming Republican Party is really arguing is not about freedom—it is about wanting the perks without the responsibilities. It wants exclusive access to the primary ballot but not the oversight that ensures fair elections. Its leaders want authority in filling vacancies, but not the legal procedures that come with that authority.  Those leaders want to be treated as a private association when convenient and a public actor when it suits their interests.”

Well said Gail! This gets to the heart of the fight going on across the country about who controls our electoral process, the people or the parties. We believe strongly that primaries - funded by the public - belong to the public and if the parties want to orchestrate private elections they should do so on their own time and their own dime.

ICYMI-Check out Campaign leader and prominent Oklahoman Republican pollster Pat McFerron in the Oklahoman- “No conservative should accept a structure where citizens are compelled to financially support elections that systematically exclude them.”

Spotlight OK Event: Engagement and Enthusiasm Grows in Support of Yes on 836 Campaign

The campaign to open Oklahoma’s primaries to all voters (SQ 836) continues to gain traction. 

This week the Stillwater League of Women Voters hosted a packed house, full of energy and thoughtful questions, as folks came out to learn more about open primaries and State Question 836. Our friends in OK report that the “engagement and enthusiasm in the room were truly inspiring — it’s clear that Oklahomans are ready for a more inclusive and representative democracy.”

Stillwater Radio’s Bill Van Ness just interviewed Former Oklahoma Republican State Senator AJ Griffin about the state's current closed primary system, why she’s backing the effort to change things and how SQ 836 can bring Oklahoma better representation. Check it out:

Spotlight PA Event: Will PA ever let independents vote in primary elections?

On Tuesday night, Spotlight PA held a virtual discussion on the “long-standing conversation among state lawmakers, voters, and advocates” on opening the closed primaries in PA to the 1.4 million independent voters in the state. The discussion was sponsored by Ballot PA, which is tirelessly working for full voting rights for independents. David Thornburgh, Ballot PA Chair kicked off the event and commented that opening the primaries to independents in PA is the voting rights issue of the 21st century.

The panel discussion was moderated by Kate Huangpu, government reporter at Spotlight PA and included Jennifer Bullock, founder, Independent Pennsylvanians; Thad Hall, Mercer County elections director; and State Rep. Jared Solomon, who has introduced a bill for open primaries in the state legislature.

Both Jenn Bullock and Rep. Solomon spoke to the need to change the culture of politics and open primaries as one step in that process. As Rep. Solomon shared, “We advocate for this because it will change the political culture in our Commonwealth.”  

You can watch the full discussion on the Spotlight PA website here:

OP Founder and President John Opdycke on New Democrats Podcast

Open Primaries President John Opdycke joined Quinn Taber on his podcast New Democrats. The episode, titled The Problem of the Two-Party System, covered how America's political system is failing independent voters.  They unpacked the flaws of the two-party system, the outsized influence of party primaries, and why restoring trust in politics requires bold reform (and bold reform requires building trust!)

From the potential for a third party to the need for authentic leadership, this conversation explores how we might rebuild the American dream through accountability, coalition-building, and a more inclusive democracy.

Check out a couple key clips:

And you can watch and listen to his full appearance here. 

Last year, the Arkansas Republican party voted at their state convention to adopt closing the state’s primaries as part of their party platform. The vote was controversial at the time, as it was made without first being submitted to the party’s rules committee prior to the convention. Later, 18 of the 24 members of the party’s executive committee agreed the vote was invalid after the rules committee chair issued an opinion to that effect.

Now, a lawsuit brought by 22 members of the Arkansas Republican Party to enforce the convention vote was dismissed in federal court on Monday.

Judge Brian S. Miller said the case was dismissed “because federal court is not the appropriate forum to resolve their [the plaintiff’s] dispute.” Further into his opinion, he cited conflicting rules in the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) rule book, adding that any conflict is a RPA or statute question, and not for a federal court to decide. 

It’s an important decision. Several Southern GOP state parties have taken similar votes over the last several years, including most recently Texas and West Virginia. These votes often serve as litmus tests of party loyalty and are generally uncontested. More controversial among party leaders is actually carrying out the policy.  As this decision makes clear, it’s the responsibility of the party to speak in a single voice before a court will uphold its decision. That should give more ammunition to party leaders who are working behind the scenes to keep the primaries open.  

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team