For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Contact: Genevieve Greene, ggreene@seventy.org, 617-785-6991
Philadelphia, PA – The Committee of Seventy released the following statement regarding the recent petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court seeking to overturn Pennsylvania’s closed primary system:
“For more than a decade, the Committee of Seventy has advocated for independent and unaffiliated voters to be able to cast ballots for candidates in political primary elections. In pursuit of that objective, we established Ballot PA to educate the public and seek the legislature’s support to repeal the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s current closed primary system.
All voters should have the opportunity to participate in all elections, but making that a reality is in the hands of the legislature. We fully respect the rule of law and the separation of powers established by our constitutions. This petition, however, seeks to circumvent the standard processes of the courts and move directly to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania – a move we believe would hinder meaningful legislative progress to reform Pennsylvania’s primary system. The legislature is currently considering legislation that would provide all voters the ability to vote in primary elections. We will continue to work with partners and elected leaders in Harrisburg and strongly advocate for such legislation to pass in both houses.
This petition, while well intended, is the wrong approach to address this longstanding issue at this moment.”
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