Editor's Note: The following is an exclusive series on IVN from the better elections group Open Primaries. The content originated from the group's weekly newsletter, "Primary Buzz."
Millions of independent voters are shut out of the elections that determine who makes the decisions affecting their lives.
That exclusion is especially powerful for independent voters of color. Housing. Health care. Jobs. Education. The issues are deeply personal. But too often, the political process is closed to the very people living with the consequences.
In this video, Open Primaries board member Dr. Jessie Fields makes the case for opening primaries-and giving independent voters a real voice in the decisions that shape their families and communities.
Read on for Dr. Field’s report from the field as she joined the Defend the Vote rally in our nation's capital this week.
As Summer Ends, A Trio of Postcards from the Movement
From Washington, DC:
Dr. Jessie Fields, Open Primaries National Board member, attended the March on Washington/Defend the Vote Rally in Washington DC on August 28th, organized by Rev. Al Sharpton.
From NYC:
A Message to Mayor Mamdani from Independent Jeff Aron:
From Texas:
A Message to GOP Leaders
Sandi Hebley has a message to TX GOP leadership – hands off our primary voting rights.
What We're Reading
The Independent Voters We’re Not Counting
What if the independent voter explosion is even bigger than we think?
In his latest op-ed, I argue that we’re missing a huge part of the story: millions of Americans are registered Democrats or Republicans but don’t actually consider themselves members of those parties.
The numbers are startling. In New York City, nearly 4 in 10 registered Democrats say they’re really independents-and among Latino Democrats, just one in three actually identify as Democrats.
The political system is still counting these voters as party members. The voters themselves have moved on. As I note:
Independents Speak Out
It's Past Time to Reform Maryland's Primaries
Delegate Qi, who came of age in China’s cultural revolution, represents one of the largest immigrant districts in Maryland and has been widely heralded for energizing immigrant voters through her campaigns. In the following piece, she speaks forcefully of why so many immigrants of color are averse to party politics, registering as independent voters and then finding their voice wiped out in closed primary elections just as it was in the authoritarian regimes they left behind.
As someone who knows very well what real authoritarianism is and what the promise of democracy demands, Delegate Qi talks about the need to let independents into the election process and why that’s so critical to preserving American democracy.
As Delegate Qi notes:
Did You Know?
Record Low Competition in the Midterm General Elections Expected
Two reports, from Unite America and the Cook Political Report, offer sober predictions for the competitiveness of this year’s midterm general elections for Congress.
The Cook report expects only 17 of the 435 House seats to be up for grabs between Republican and Democratic Party candidates with the rest firmly in control of either party.
Meanwhile, a Unite analysis found 90% of U.S House and 80% of U.S Senate seats already predetermined. As Unite concluded:
Activities/Events
The Personal Touch: Building Campaigns for Open Primaries that Inspire Voters
What D.C.’s Successful Open Primaries Campaign Can Teach Reformers Nationwide
September 10 at 2:00 PM ET. Featuring Lisa Rice, Founder of Grow Democracy DC. Moderated by Open Primaries President John Opdycke
Winning open primaries isn’t about policy. It’s about enfranchising voters who are shut out and building trust that changing the rules creates positive possibility and opportunity. If voters are not inspired, don’t trust campaign leadership, and don’t see a relationship between open voting and improving their lives - who cares what the policy is.
In 2024, 73% of D.C. voters approved Initiative 83, voting to open the city’s taxpayer-funded primary elections and deploy ranked choice voting in the general election. But after the measure passed, ranked choice voting was implemented, and open primaries was shelved by the city council - leaving nearly 100,000 independent voters shut out.
For nearly two years, the will of the voters was blocked. But Lisa Rice, founder of Grow Democracy DC, and her team don’t know how to take no for an answer - thank god!
Please join us for a discussion about how the DC team went to the mattresses and forced the city council to implement open primaries in the nation’s capital.
Open Primaries President John Opdycke will sit down with Lisa to explore what the D.C. campaign can teach reformers across the country: How do you make structural reform personal? How do you build a coalition that lasts beyond Election Day? And how can campaigns connect with and inspire voters in ways that move political leaders to act?
Join us on September 10 at 2:00 PM ET for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to turn voter support into lasting political change.