I registered as soon as I turned 18, a long time ago, and I've never missed an election in which I've been eligible to vote. As an independent, I have to sit out the primaries, unless there is a referendum or something similar.
Register to Vote Day touched off that controversy again. It's the one that changes Pennsylvania law to allow independents to vote in primaries.
Let's take a closer look. A primary is for members of a party to choose their candidates. If you are not a member of a party, why should you have a say?
On the other hand, we are all citizens in this democracy, and therefore, everyone should have a vote.
Clearly, the fall elections would look a lot different if independents voted in the spring. Candidates would have to make a pitch to appeal to the indies, many of whom are moderate. Conventional wisdom leans toward more moderate candidates winning in open primaries. We wouldn't see the extremes, on both sides, that we experience now.
Professional skeptic. Pennsylvania is slow to change, and I'd be surprised to see open primaries any time soon.
