<[link removed]>



Changing the National Narrative

<[link removed]>We don’t just want to enact open primaries.  We want to change how Americans think about primaries.   

Open Primaries President John Opdycke talked with Major Garrett of CBS News <[link removed]>, Chuck Todd from the The Chuck ToddCast <[link removed]>, and Scott MacFarlane from 535 News <[link removed]> about the importance of changing the rules AND changing the culture.  

“Obviously, we have to change the rules of the game.  Primaries are government funded, government administered, and every citizen should be able to vote in every election - period.  But we have to go further.  We have to change the culture.  We’ve been hoodwinked into believing that only hardcore partisans vote in primaries - regular people vote in November.  That’s as American as apple pie.  But it’s upside down and part of why people are so frustrated with the lack of progress on so many issues.  All the decisions get made in the primary, but most of us don’t vote in primaries!  So we can’t just settle for changing the rules.  We have to change the culture.”  

That’s the name of the game.  Change the Rules.  Change the Culture.  Empower the People.



Open Primaries Files Major Constitutional Brief in Oregon Voting Rights Case



Our friend and colleague Mark Porter is leading the legal fight to open Oregon's closed primary system to every voter, and Open Primaries has proudly supported <[link removed]>the case from the very beginning. This week, we filed an amicus brief drafted by OP SVP Jeremy Gruber with the Oregon Court of Appeals <[link removed]> in support of Mark and Our Primary Voice, advancing what we believe is one of the most important voting rights arguments in decades.

Our brief asks a simple but profound constitutional question:

Is voting in a public election a right of citizenship—or a privilege of party membership?

For decades, courts have treated primary elections as if they were private party affairs. But they aren't. Primaries are created by state law, administered by public officials, funded by taxpayers, and in many communities they effectively decide who governs. Yet more than one million Oregon voters-and millions more across America-are excluded unless they join a private political party.

Our brief argues that the Constitution protects not only the freedom to join a political party, but also the freedom not to join one. Government should never force Americans to surrender one constitutional right in order to exercise another. Public elections belong to the people-not to private organizations.

The brief <[link removed]>also reminds the court that direct primaries were created to take power away from party insiders and give it to voters. Closed primaries have turned that reform on its head.

This case starts in Oregon, but its implications reach every closed-primary state in America.

Who owns public elections-the people, or the political parties?

Want to learn more? Open Primaries is building the nation's first coordinated litigation platform <[link removed]> dedicated to primary reform and independent voter rights with cases across the country.



New Campaign Launches to Give 1.2 Million New Yorkers a Voice



This week, Open Primaries officially launched our new New York City campaign: New York Open Primaries <[link removed]>. Open Primaries is organizing independent voters across all five boroughs to demand a more open, representative democracy and to ensure that every New Yorker has a voice in the elections that shape our city's future.

The launch comes after Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is "content" with New York City's closed primary system <[link removed]> and after he failed to respond to an invitation from independent voters to meet and hear their experiences with a system that excludes them from the elections that matter most.

We're not interested in partisan fights. We're interested in democracy.

We’re calling on Mayor Mamdani to join us for an Independent Voter Town Hall to meet the New Yorkers who are locked out of the primary elections that often determine who represents them. Listen to their stories. Hear why they choose political independence. And help build a city where every voter has an equal voice.

With more than 1.2 million independent voters in New York City-54% of whom are people of color-, this is not a fringe issue. It is a fundamental question about who gets to participate in our democracy.

Join the campaign, sign the petition, and help us open New York City's primaries at New York Open Primaries. <[link removed]>



WHY ARE YOU AN INDEPENDENT?

<[link removed]>

LET US VOTE GOES TO PENNSYLVANIA



Sophie Gelling, a Let Us Vote <[link removed]> leader in Pennsylvania attended the PA Forward Party <[link removed]> State Convention July 18th and spoke to the convention about the need for Open Primaries in PA. Here is Sophie's report:

At last weekend’s Pennsylvania Forward Party State Convention, I had the privilege of speaking to a room packed with energized reform advocates and politicians about our multi-pronged fight for open primaries in Pennsylvania. With over 1.3 million independent voters currently shut out, we are pushing forward on two critical fronts: advancing bipartisan legislation in Harrisburg and supporting the groundbreaking legal challenge to the state's closed primary system.

I was thrilled to see open primaries featured as a cornerstone policy for Forwardists. During my address, I highlighted the natural alignment taking shape between Forwardists, independent leaders, and national champions like Open Primaries. Given its early impact on my own leadership journey, I also invited all convention attendees to our next spokesperson training in October, emphasizing how vital it is to educate our communities about the broken two-party system and challenges facing independents.

When local grassroots leaders team up with national networks, we create a true force multiplier. Forwardists bring fierce local energy for getting independent candidates on the ballot, while Open Primaries provides decades of campaign strategy and research across multiple states. Together, we can actively build the civic infrastructure required to deliver open primaries for every Pennsylvanian. 

I look forward to fostering that collaboration through continued leadership here in my beloved home state. Sophie Geling, LUV PA



Become a Stronger Voice for Independent Voters

Independent voters are the largest and fastest-growing group in American politics—but too often their voices go unheard.

Open Primaries Independents' Spokesperson Training is designed to help independent and reform-minded Americans communicate with confidence, tell their stories effectively, and become stronger advocates for open, inclusive elections.

Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 PM ET for an engaging Zoom training featuring storytelling, communications coaching, and practical tools you can use immediately.

Applications are now open, but space is limited.

Apply today <[link removed]>



Have a great weekend, 

The Open Primaries Team

<[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]>Open Primaries · 244 Madison Ave, #1106, New York, NY 10016, United States
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