Nevada Ballot Initiative to Begin Collecting Signatures

Independents are now the largest group of voters in Nevada--43% of the electorate--but they are shut out in the state’s closed primaries. Good news! Primary reform is one step closer to the ballot in Nevada after two initiatives filed last month with the Nevada Secretary of State by Vote Nevada survived the legal challenge period unscathed. 

Amendment #1 will add the right to equal participation in all taxpayer-funded elections regardless of political affiliation to the state constitution’s Voter Bill of Rights. Amendment #2 will create an independent redistricting commission.  

The campaign can now start gathering signatures, and they need 148,788 valid ones, divided equally among the state's four congressional districts. Long-time open primaries advocate Sondra Cosgrove declared:

US Supreme Court Considers Challenge to Closed Primaries

In a dramatic step forward for litigation challenging closed primaries, the US Supreme Court has indicated they are going to conference to discuss whether to grant a writ of certiorari to Polelle v. Florida Secretary of State; a case challenging Florida's closed primaries that Open Primaries has supported since its inception.

Close to ten thousand cases file for cert. to the Supreme Court every year and the Court chooses between a 100 and 150 to hear each term. Most are denied outright without discussion. Only those petitions that at least one Justice wishes to discuss are placed on the discuss list and voted on. The votes of four Justices are required to grant a writ of certiorari, which places the case on the Court's calendar. 

This means two major firsts. 

1. We have identified support on the US Supreme Court to consider the legal status of closed primaries and 
2. The Justices of the US Supreme Court will be seriously discussing the rights of independent voters among themselves-for the first time ever. 

Open Primaries and the Independent Voter Project (IVP) were joined by the Forward Party and Florida Forward Party in submitting an amicus brief to the US Supreme Court asking the Court to tackle the fundamental questions at the heart of the open primaries debate.

The brief offers a new resource to the movement, exploring the many open questions of law that American courts have failed to address when it comes to independent voters and offering new framings in the fight to let all voters vote.  Read the full brief HERE.

Whether or not the Court takes this specific case on, one thing is clear. We just made major headway in the legal fight for open primaries!

Read on to sign up for our next Virtual Discussion-Taking Open Primaries To Court where leading attorneys will discuss the role of litigation in change politics and how getting into court could transform the primary reform movement.

Minority Voters Are Increasingly Going Independent

Independent voters, at 43%, are the largest and fastest growing segment of the electorate.  And one of the fastest growing groups of independents? Racial minorities.

This week Newsday does a deep dive into the makeup of the growing ranks of independent voters on New York’s Long Island region. Their finding? The share of independent voters has increased 4 percentage points over the last decade. In so-called "majority-minority" election districts, that increase has been twofold.

Watch NYC independent activist Brianna Strong break down why this is happening:

Also check out Open Primaries new fact sheet for more details on the growing numbers of minority voters going independent.

Oklahoma Campaign Is On A Roll

The Yes on 836 campaign is talking with voters from across the state about open primaries all this week at the Tulsa State Fair. If you’re in Tulsa, stop by their booth next to Fox23News.

Support is continuing to flock to the campaign, which has already amassed an impressive list of Republican, as well as Democratic and independent supporters.

Read this great endorsement just in from former Republican State Senator and physician Ervin Yen. In it he links the state’s closed primary system with the state’s political division.

Yes on 836 is a campaign by and for Oklahomans. You can support the campaign HERE. 

Open Primaries has been a staunch partner of the campaign from its inception-we’ll keep you updated on its progress.

From Women's Suffrage through the Civil Rights era to the modern day, the history of voting rights in the United States is intertwined with litigation, which (whether successful, unsuccessful or even pursued short of a final verdict) has served as a crucial catalyst in the evolution of our democracy. 

Attorneys in multiple states are challenging closed primaries and the disenfranchisement of independent voters including a pending federal case before the US Supreme Court and state constitutional challenges in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Wyoming. 

On Friday October 17th at 2:30pm ET, Open Primaries President John Opdycke brings together some of the attorneys leading the charge and building a litigation platform and strategy for the reform movement. They’ll discuss the role of litigation in change politics and how getting into court could transform the primary reform movement.

Featuring:

Boyd Rutherford, Former Maryland Lt Governor and partner at Davis, Agnor, Rapaport, & Skalny.

Chad Peace, Founder of the Independent Voter Project.

Matt Fontana, Partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath in Pennsylvania.

Jeremy Gruber, SVP at Open Primaries.

*And special guest, Professor Michael Polelle-plaintiff and counsel in Polelle v. Florida Secretary of State.

You won’t want to miss it!

REGISTER TODAY. 

Have a great weekend

The Open Primaries Team