WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:02:02.9830000" NOTE recognizability:0.881 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.526 The primary election is just a NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:02.526 --> 00:00:05.248 couple of weeks away and voters NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:05.248 --> 00:00:08.098 will decide a number of candidates, NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:08.100 --> 00:00:09.880 including those running for U.S. NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:11.300 Senate and also governor NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:12.365 independent voters, though, NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:12.365 --> 00:00:15.560 will have to sit back and watch Fox 43. NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:18.400 Harry Lee has more on a new push NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:19.816 to change that rule. NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:19.816 --> 00:00:21.586 The primaries are coming up, NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:21.590 --> 00:00:23.345 but 1.3 million registered Pennsylvania NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:23.345 --> 00:00:25.100 voters aren't allowed ballots because NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:25.147 --> 00:00:26.559 they're not registered Democrat NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:26.560 --> 00:00:28.690 or Republican. Well, it's not fair. NOTE Confidence: 0.8939994 00:00:28.690 --> 00:00:30.470 We all pay for primary. NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:30.590 --> 00:00:31.846 Directions, including those who NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:31.846 --> 00:00:34.199 don't get to vote and that feels NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:34.199 --> 00:00:36.264 like the definition of taxation NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:36.264 --> 00:00:37.450 without representation. Pennsylvania NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:37.450 --> 00:00:39.616 is one of only nine states NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:39.616 --> 00:00:40.699 with closed primaries, NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:42.180 meaning only registered Democrats NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:42.180 --> 00:00:44.400 can vote in the Democratic primary NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:44.463 --> 00:00:46.258 and only registered Republicans can NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:46.258 --> 00:00:48.280 vote in the Republican primary and NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:50.562 the idea behind closed primaries is that NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:50.562 --> 00:00:53.330 a primary is really the party's business. NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:53.330 --> 00:00:55.496 It's the party determining who its NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:55.496 --> 00:00:57.669 nominees will be. The thinking is NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:57.670 --> 00:00:59.800 that people outside the party could NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:00:59.800 --> 00:01:01.900 purposely choose a bad candidate. NOTE Confidence: 0.87108743 00:01:01.900 --> 00:01:03.780 That thinking, though, is changing. It's NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:03.780 --> 00:01:05.670 a pretty powerful argument to say, NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:08.006 let's not shut somebody out of the out NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:08.006 --> 00:01:10.380 of the system, right? Let's not shut NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:10.380 --> 00:01:11.950 somebody out of the process. NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:13.714 Civic groups like Ballot PA have NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:13.714 --> 00:01:15.400 campaigned to open Pennsylvania primaries. NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:17.284 It could soon be a reality NOTE Confidence: 0.8683487 00:01:17.284 --> 00:01:18.540 thanks to new legislation. NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:22.810 Vote for the candidate instead of the NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:22.810 --> 00:01:25.540 party, and I think that would produce NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:28.270 better candidates for in the fall state. NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:28.270 --> 00:01:31.190 Senator Dan Laughlin is Co sponsoring a bill NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:31.190 --> 00:01:34.118 that would allow independent voters to vote NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.070 in either, but not both NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:36.070 --> 00:01:37.630 of the parties primaries, NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:37.630 --> 00:01:40.550 which is a good first step but US NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:40.550 --> 00:01:42.929 independents see it as a first step NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:42.929 --> 00:01:45.527 to the the motherland of having an NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:45.527 --> 00:01:47.902 election system that fully decouples NOTE Confidence: 0.877948 00:01:47.902 --> 00:01:50.110 voting rights from party affiliation. NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:52.635 The bill wouldn't pass in NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:01:52.635 --> 00:01:54.630 time for this year's primary, NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:01:54.630 --> 00:01:57.470 but it could have a major impact on NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:01:57.470 --> 00:01:59.419 the presidential primary election. NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:00.755 Happening in 2024. NOTE Confidence: 0.908881 00:02:00.755 --> 00:02:02.980 Harry Lee Fox 43 news.