Harrisburg, Pa. – 4월 27, 2023 — On 수요일, Senator Maria Collett (D-12 Montgomery) joined Senators Lisa M. Boscola (D-Northampton) and Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) in support of bipartisan legislation to establish open primaries in Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 400.
During the press event, Senator Collett remarked:
“Since day one, the people of my district have let me know just how important protecting our right to vote and the concept of free and fair elections are to them. The vast majority of my constituents – and the vast majority of Pennsylvanians, nearly 75% – believe that a person’s right to vote should not be limited by their political affiliation or lack thereof.”
“When we deny so many voters the ability to vote in our primaries, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to have a truly representative and responsive government. It is our duty as legislators, regardless of party affiliation, to ensure that our electoral system is equitable and accessible for every qualified Pennsylvania voter, for every election, and I will continue to do everything in my power to make that a reality.”
Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that has completely closed primaries, prohibiting independent and unaffiliated voters from fully participating in the primary elections they fund as taxpayers. This particularly impacts veterans and younger voters, who are more likely to be registered independent voters than the general population.
You can find video of Senator Collett’s full remarks here.