Here’s the dilemma. Reform begins at the ballot box. But what if access to the ballot itself needs reform? Such is the case in Pennsylvania. If, for example, you’re an independent or third-party voter – and there are more than 1.1 million of you – you can’t vote for candidates in primary elections. … We’re a “closed primary state” – one of only nine, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This is wrong on its face. It helps protect the political status quo. It disenfranchises citizens, even while using their tax dollars to pay for elections in which those citizens can’t participate. And it’ll get worse as more (especially younger) voters step away from the two major parties. In Philadelphia, for example, independents and third-party voters now total 117,800 – outnumbering registered Republicans.
… The Electoral Integrity Project, a joint international venture of Harvard University and the University of Sydney, Australia, studied states using metrics such as voting laws, electoral procedures, campaign financing, and more. After the 2016 elections, it ranked Pennsylvania 45th.
We tamp down voting in multiple ways.
Unlike 37 other states, we offer no early voting. Unlike 27 other states, we offer no no-excuse absentee voting. We don’t have same-day registration voting; 15 states do.
Full Article: For a better Pennsylvania: Part 4 – voting reforms.