Author: Russell

Primary Buzz 7/10/26

South Carolina GOP Sues to Close Primaries After failing yet again to convince the legislature to close South Carolina’s primaries, the South Carolina Republican Party has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to restrict participation in Republican primaries to registered party members. The case mirrors a similar lawsuit filed by the Texas Republican Party, where litigation […]

Primary Buzz 7/2/26

Something extraordinary is happening in Delaware. This week, Rep. Smith’s HB 188-which would open Delaware’s taxpayer-funded primary elections to independent voters-passed the Delaware House, the farthest an open primaries bill has ever advanced in the first year it was introduced. It did so with a majority of members from both parties-a rare feat. That’s not […]

Primary Buzz 6/26/26

Washington, D.C. Voters Win a Major Victory: Open Primaries Are Coming Democracy won a major victory in Washington, D.C. this week. In 2024, D.C. voters overwhelmingly approved ballot initiative 83 to open the city’s taxpayer-funded primary elections, with 73% of voters voting yes. The message from voters was clear: every citizen should have a voice […]

Open Primaries Challenges Mayor Mamdani to Meet With Independent Voters in Town Hall After Claiming He’s “Quite Content” with NYC’s Closed Primaries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 10th, 2026 MEDIA CONTACT: Gabby Richards; grichards@vision360partners.com   Open Primaries Challenges Mayor Mamdani to Meet With Independent Voters in Town Hall After Claiming He’s “Quite Content” with NYC’s Closed Primaries  NEW YORK – Open Primaries, a leading national advocacy group working to enact and protect open and nonpartisan primary election systems, […]

Primary Buzz 6/18/26

47% Independent: The Two-Party System Has Lost the Country It Claims to Represent A new CNN poll delivers a number that should reframe American politics: 47% of Americans now identify as political independents, the highest level in more than a decade of CNN’s tracking. Nearly half the country no longer claims affiliation with either major […]

Primary Buzz 6/12/26

Independent Voters Turn Out in Force as NYC Charter Commission Becomes a Flashpoint Once Again for Open Primaries Independent voters in New York City are continuing to show up in numbers that the political establishment can’t easily dismiss. At the first hearing this week of the latest New York City Charter Revision Commission, more than […]

Primary Buzz 6/5/26

The Myth of Independent Voter Apathy Dies in New Mexico New Mexico’s first-ever open primary was a success. Topline: Early turnout figures show approximately 11% of independent voters participated in the primary this week, a meaningful step forward for voters who have been locked out of participation in taxpayer-funded primaries for generations. Even more impressive, […]

Primary Buzz 5/29/26

We’re excited to announce that the Primary Buzz is merging with the Let Us Vote campaign newsletter into a single, unified platform. This brings together our ongoing work to empower independent voters with the national effort to open up America’s primary system. At a moment when the conversation around voter exclusion, partisan control, and political […]

Primary Buzz 5/22/26

Pennsylvania Independents Speak Out on (Closed) Primary Day As Open Primaries Hits the News Statewide Independent voters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh showed up at polling places across Pennsylvania on Tuesday with a simple message: stop locking 1.5 million voters out of taxpayer-funded elections. Joined by leaders from Let Us Vote and Ballot PA Action, independents […]