Pennsylvania Primaries Are Critical! Take Action!

Primary season is in full swing! Primaries are critical – here in Pennsylvania, it determines who is on the ballot representing the Democrats and Republicans in the general election in November. In the state of Pennsylvania, we have closed primaries - meaning that only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for who will represent their respective parties on the ballot in November. Interestingly, a lawsuit was recently filed by Ballot PA Action filed a lawsuit saying that our closed primaries are unconstitutional.  

PA is one of only 8 states that still has closed primaries, leaving over 1.4 million registered voters unable to vote in primaries. These voters are either registered with a third party (any party besides Democrat or Republican) or registered as “unaffiliated”. 1.4 million voters is 10% of the electorate – that is a significant number of voters that cannot participate in our current system. While there have been many bills introduced into the legislature to change this, none have been signed into law. Ballot PA Action filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court last December with a group of independent voters. They argued the state’s current system violates the Pennsylvania Constitution by diminishing the power of independent voters. “The crux of our case is that partisan voters have more power than nonpartisan voters,” said David Thornburgh, from Ballot PA Action. Read more about the history of the case HERE.  

This lawsuit won’t change this year’s primaries. While for many of us the ballot will not have many contested seats (multiple people running for the same seat), it is still important to vote! Voting should be a habit like any other – we need to do it many times to make it a habit, and that includes voting in all elections. This women’s history month let’s honor the incredible women before us who had to fight so hard for the right to vote by not only voting, but encourage every eligible voter you know to vote.  

Important dates: 

• Last day to register to vote: May 4, 2026  

• Last day to apply for a mail in ballot: May 12, 2026  

• Election day: May 19, 2026