Pennsylvania Independents Advance: not a single one of the approximately 39,000 York County voters who are not registered with either major party got a vote on Tuesday

Have you noticed? There's a virtual all-out campaign for Open Primaries in Pennsylvania -- led by Independent Pennsylvanians. Get to know them -- they're changing politics in PA!

PENNSYLVANIA INDEPENDENTS

• Independent voters to help Pennsylvania keep its electoral clout in 2012 (By The Patriot-News) Statewide, Democrats still hold a big edge, largely because of overwhelming majorities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. There are 1.1 million more registered Democrats statewide than Republicans.  “But that advantage doesn’t always show up,” said Treadway, the retired Kutztown political scientist. “People don’t always vote their party affiliation. There are a lot of people who are moderates and independents, and they swing back and forth. It’s just not an extremely liberal or conservative state.”
• Abysmal Primary Voter Turnout Was Shameful - Those who did cast ballots shaped general election races. (By Tom De Martini, Upper Macungie Patch) Maybe it's because Pennsylvania's primaries are "closed" to independent voters. Still, Republicans and Democrats turned out in very small numbers to support candidates.
• State primary system draws local criticism for excluding independents, others (By TOM JOYCE, York Daily Record/Sunday News) And not a single one of the approximately 39,000 York County voters who are not registered with either major party got a vote on Tuesday. That includes those registered as independents, as well as third parties such as the Greens and Libertarians. That's because Pennsylvania is among 25 states with closed primaries, meaning only people registered with a given party can vote in that party's primary. Since cross-filed candidates are registered as Republicans and Democrats, those who don't fall into either category can't vote for them… State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-West Manchester, has proposed legislation that would allow registered independents to vote either on the Republican or Democratic ticket during primaries.

Pennsylvania's DePasquale: Open Primaries Gives Voters a Choice

OPEN PRIMARIES FOR PENNSYLVANIA

• State lawmaker pursues big voting reform ideas (Jennifer Rizzi, WHTM - abc27 News Harrisburg) "If Independent voters would like to vote in the Democratic primary one year and the Republican primary the next, or vice versa, my legislation would give them that choice," DePasquale said. He also wants to make it easier for Independents to run for political office by equalizing their rights and options with other parties.
• Independent Pennsylvanians is an association of independent and independent-minded voters. We support issues and campaigns at the local, state and national level designed to increase the visibility and power of independent voters in Pennsylvania—now the fastest growing political force in America.

CALIFORNIA PROP 14 - ELECTION MAY 17

• Field of 18 Competing for Vacant Congressional Seat (By Paul Chavez, Hermosa Beach Patch)
• California's Party of No Takes Center Stage, or Does It? (William Bradley - California-based Political Analyst NewWestNotes.com, Huffington Post) The Republicans hate California's new open primary even more than the Democrats. After first trying create a new rule allowing small groups of right-wing activists to name party nominees, they came up with a compromise: The Republican Party will hold a primary election before the primary election. So that Republicans will know who to vote for in the real primary election. How will this new primary be organized and, more to the point, paid for? Who knows?
• It's Time to "Change" Congress  (Independent Voice) With an historic victory for the Open Primary in June 2010, it's time to move on to our next fight - Redistricting Reform. IndependentVoice.Org is one of the Steering Committee Members of Yes on 20, No on 27. Proposition 20 takes the Redistricting Reform we passed in 2008 and applies it to Congressional Districts.  Proposition 27 is a measure put on the ballot by politicians that would return all power over the redistricting process to them.  So say it with us . .  . YES ON 20, NO ON 27!!

Support for DePasquale Pennsylvania Bill to Include Independents in Primary Vote

Joseph Deinlein, a writer for the Sunbury PA Daily Item, writes about a "glimmer of hope for the independent voters" in Of primary concern 

 As one who has been an independent since I registered to vote, I’ve always hated not being allowed to vote in the primary. Particularly in Pennsylvania, off-year municipal elections tend to get decided in May, not November, because often there is only one party that puts forth any candidates. It gets more complicated at the local level when there are multiple people running on both sides.

State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, announced last week the introduction of a package of four bills designed to improve voter turnout and give more voters a voice on Election Day.

The first bill would allow voters registered as Independents to cast ballots in Pennsylvania primary elections.

"In an era where more and more voters are registering as Independents, we should not be denying those voters the chance to make their voices heard in a primary election," DePasquale said. "This bill would allow Independents to choose which party’s ballot they would like to vote on during the primary. Also, if those Independent voters would like to vote in the Democratic primary one year and the Republican primary the next, or vice versa, my legislation would give them that choice."

Read more about the independent movement in Pennsylvania at Independent Pennsylvanians

Big Ideas from Pennsylvania

Eugene DePasquale of Pennsylvania is attempting to push legislation through that will reform voting. The core of his plan has to do with independent voters, specifically allowing them to vote in oprn primaries and make it easier to run for office by lifting restrictions placed on them.

OPEN PRIMARIES

State lawmaker pursues big voting reform ideas (Jennifer Rizzi, WHTM - abc27 News Harrisburg) "If Independent voters would like to vote in the Democratic primary one year and the Republican primary the next, or vice versa, my legislation would give them that choice," DePasquale said. He also wants to make it easier for Independents to run for political office by equalizing their rights and options with other parties.

Pennsylvania Post-Primary Advice: Candidates in mid-term elections take note: Independents are Watching You!

With the much discussed and highly contested PA primaries now over, talk among political pundits has quickly turned to the mid-term elections for US Senate and Governor. One thing that these “experts” seem to agree on, and very rightly so, is that independent voters, now nationally more than 40% of the electorate, will play a monumental part in deciding the outcome of the mid-terms. However, when asked to paint a picture of what independent voters want, who they are, and specifically how they will influence the elections, these same pundits come up surprisingly empty.

This lack of insight highlights the entrenched bipartisanship that exists not only in our political system, but in our political discourse. Independent voters are diverse in background and hold views that range across the political spectrum. This does not mean, however, as often characterized, that these voters are a nebulous bunch, unworthy of serious consideration. A far from nebulous fact offered by Stephen Bouikidis of Independent Pennsylvanians, “Independents have voiced deep concern about the breakdown of our political system. The candidates that seriously address this concern are the candidates that will come out ahead in the upcoming elections.”

Independent voters are passionately interested in increased inclusion in the electoral process. This can be seen nationally, from the passing of Proposition 14 (top two primaries act) in California this week, to the groundswell of support that Pennsylvanians have given to the Open Primaries bill ( HB 1672) introduced by Rep. Depasquale of York, PA. The bill would allow the over one million Independent voters of PA to participate in the crucial first rounds of elections, making our electoral process truly democratic and fair for all voters. This piece of legislation has already received close to 2000 signatures of support from across the state. Many voters voiced their outrage on primary day, “I’m sick and tired of not being able to vote, why are independents always silenced?” commented one voter on Independent Pennsylvanians website, http://www.facebook.com/l/82074; www.IndependentPA.org.

“Inclusiveness is needed now more than ever, when it is clear that bipartisanship has a strangle-hold on our government,” Bouikidis adds. Independents will be watching closely to see which candidates come out in favor of bill HB 1672 and other democratic reforms that include all voters.

Independent Pennsylvanians (IP) is an activist organization supporting progressive, non-partisan political reforms and is an affiliate of http://www.facebook.com/l/82074;IndependentVoting.org, a national strategy, communications and organizing center. Representatives from IP are available for commentary and views regarding the independent voter. 

Contact:

Jennifer Bullock
Independent Pennsylvanians
245 S. 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-957-5073
IndependentPA@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/l/82074

www.IndependentPA.org 

Independent (Youth) Week in NYC: Charter Revision Hearings and National Action Network Conference

Last week was a busy one here in NYC for independents and youth, and independent youth:  2 public hearings for the NYC Charter Revision Commission, one in 'da Bronx on Monday and one on Staten Island on Tuesday, where young independent activists are speaking out in favor of nonpartisan elections. Then off to the National Action Network conference at the Sheraton in Manhattan where Dr. Lenora Fulani brought the house down at the Education panel discussion, calling on the conference to "close the discussion on the achievement gap," and start paying attention to scientific breakthroughs in human development, discussions that are taking place internationally but that US leadership refuses to investigate.

"...Here in the US, we are doing publicity tours with Newt Gingrich to promote public awareness of the problem. With all due respect to Reverend Sharpton and my sisters and brothers in the National Action Network, that is insufficient for Black America and for all America..."

Dr. Fulani is recognized as having created the contemporary independent movement with her historic run for President in 1988 when she became the first woman and first African American to ever be on the ballot in all 50 states. She ran as an independent, collecting over 1.5 million signatures nationally and a quarter of a million votes. Fulani is a co-founder of the All Stars Project, Inc. and founder and director of Operation Conversation: Cops and Kids.

Up this week, Charter Revision hearings tonight in Queens and Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Watch the April 19 Charter Commission Hearing Live from Long Island City, at LaGuardia Community College, via Webcast at 6pm Monday.

Meanwhile...

• Voters in West Virginia  and North Carolina are becoming more independent.
• Oregon  Washington experience says YES! to Top Two open primary. [Thanks to Richard Winger at Ballot Access News for this correction. Apologies for my East-Coast-centricity! All you West Coast states don't *really* look alike -- but you do have a certain independent streak that I really appreciate!]
• 5 out of 6 Pennsylvania gov candidates support open primaries (bill introduced by Eugene DePasquale) for the Keystone State.
• California Dem Party rejects open primaries.
• Florida Gov Charlie Crist says he's not gonna run for re-election as an independent but lots of folks wish he would.
• Nationally speaking, the Top Two right now are Barack Obama and Ron Paul.
• Today's Pew Research polls finds Americans are living in Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor.