Pennsylvania House passes bill to open primary elections

What the House approved

The Pennsylvania House approved a bill that would allow independent and third-party voters to cast ballots in the state’s primary elections. The measure passed 115-88, drawing support and opposition across party lines.

Sixteen Republicans voted for the bill, while Democratic support was not unanimous. State Rep. Jared Solomon, a Philadelphia Democrat and the bill’s prime sponsor, introduced the proposal in 2025.

The House State Government Committee advanced it on Monday. The House vote sends the measure to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.

The proposal targets Pennsylvania’s closed-primary system, which prevents unaffiliated and third-party voters from participating in partisan primary elections. Solomon said changing that system would address the exclusion of 1.5 million unaffiliated voters. Pennsylvania is one of 10 states with closed primaries.

Why lawmakers split

Supporters argue that the current system leaves many residents without a role in selecting the candidates who advance to general elections. Open-primary advocates say those voters include about 400,000 Pennsylvania veterans and nearly two-thirds of young adults who remain independent or join another political party.

Opponents from both parties argued that primary elections belong to the political parties choosing their nominees. State Rep. Wendy Fink, a York County Republican, said general elections are open to registered voters and that the bill would change the parties’ nomination process while adding complexity to election administration.

State Rep. Greg Vitali, a Delaware County Democrat, also opposed the measure. He argued that independent voters choose not to affiliate with a political party and therefore should not help select that party’s nominee.