The largest percent of Americans identify as independents rather than with the Democratic or Republican parties. But in some states around the country, those non-affiliated voters aren't able to take part in primary elections. Now that state legislative sessions are kicking off for the year, lawmakers across the country — in states with both open and closed primaries — are mulling changes to their primary systems. Some of these changes would limit the ability for non-affiliated voters to take part in primary elections, and some would include them in the primary process. Who can vote in a primary varies by state, and in some cases, political parties are able to choose if non-affiliated voters can take part in their primaries. Proponents of open primaries, or a primary election in which voters do not have to declare their party affiliation, say that it includes more voters in the process — especially as chunks of voters aren't registered with either of the two major political parties. But some still have their concerns. New Hampshire state Rep. Michael Moffett, who sponsored a bill that proposes requiring voters to affiliate with a party at least four months before the primary, said that closed primaries "ensure the integrity of the primary" by making sure "the people who vote in the primary are truly members of the party." New Hampshire is a state known for its independent voters. Currently, undeclared voters can choose which party's primary to vote in on the primary Election Day and then immediately unregister from that party before leaving the polling place. — A similar push to restrict open primaries is happening in Alaska, which had its first full run with top-four open primaries and ranked choice voting last cycle — a system that led to Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola filling the seat held by late Republican Rep. Don Young for decades. Republican state legislators are now introducing bills looking to eliminate the open primary and ranked choice voting systems. Currently in Alaska primaries, voters can vote for one candidate, regardless of party affiliation. The four candidates who receive the most votes proceed to the general election. The proposals call for registered voters to only vote in their party's primary and allows nonpartisan voters to take part, although the political parties can decide if they expand participation to voters of another party or restrict participation from nonpartisan voters. — Over in Wyoming, Republican representatives are renewing an effort to ban crossover voting, specifically voters changing their party affiliation around three months before a primary. It's an effort Wyoming Republicans — and former President Donald Trump — have been pushing for over the years. Wyoming voters can change their party affiliation at least 14 days before the election or at the polls. Last August, some Democrats switched their party affiliation to Republican ahead of the primary as part of an unsuccessful attempt to help former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney defeat now-Rep. Harriet Hageman, who had Trump's backing. — In Texas, a Republican-backed bill proposes changing the open primary system so voters can only vote in the primary election of the party they're affiliated with. Registered voters would have to indicate their party affiliations before the end of the year, or they'd be listed as an independent and unable to vote in a party's primary. But some states are also looking to open their primaries. Nine states have closed primary elections, meaning only voters who are registered with a political party can vote for candidates of that party, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. — In one of those states, New Mexico, two Democratic state representatives introduced a bill to allow voters who aren't affiliated with a party to participate in a primary election by requesting a ballot from one of the parties participating in the election. As of the end of December, around 23 percent of voters in New Mexico were independent, affiliated with no party or declined to select a party. Similar bills to open up New Mexico's primary system have been introduced in the legislature in recent years, but none have been successful. — A similar bipartisan bill was introduced in the Delaware House. Over 20 percent of registered voters are not registered with a party in the state and cannot vote in a primary election. Beyond action in state legislatures, some campaigns are also working to implement open primaries. Nevada is pushing for open primaries, coupled with ranked choice voting, through a constitutional amendment that was on the ballot in November. Voters narrowly approved that ballot measure, but before any changes are made, voters must pass it again in 2024. And in Oregon, another closed primary state, a public comment period is being held on a draft ballot title intended for the November 2024 ballot proposing open primaries for state legislative, congressional and statewide elected offices. Around 40 percent of registered voters in the state are non-affiliated or independent. Happy Tuesday. Send tips and feedback to mfernandez@politico.com and @madfernandez616. Days until the VA-04 special election: 35 Days until the Kentucky primary: 119 Days until the Mississippi primary: 203 Days until the Louisiana primary: 270 Days until the 2023 election: 294 Days until the 2024 election: 658 Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories.
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