Consider this situation. A Pennsylvanian devotes over three decades to military service, most of it in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Along the way, he earns multiple degrees and becomes a management consultant, a college professor and an entrepreneur. He’s played by the rules, served his country and contributed to his community. And yet, despite all that service, he’s prohibited from voting in his state’s primary elections. Why? Because he’s registered as an independent.
This situation isn’t hypothetical — it’s real. For most of my life, I was a registered Republican. But over the years, I felt less aligned with the party, especially at the local and state levels. I changed my registration after working on a friend’s campaign for state Senate and seeing firsthand how party loyalty often overshadowed community service. I switched to independent, choosing to put country over party and people over politics. As a result, I’m now locked out of Pennsylvania’s primary elections. I no longer have a say in who governs our local schools, my township, my county or even who runs for the state Legislature.
In a state known as the keystone of American democracy, Pennsylvania carries an unfortunate distinction: It’s one of just 10 states that still bars independent voters from participating in primary elections. This outdated restriction disenfranchises 1.3 million Pennsylvanians — even though we help fund the very primaries we’re excluded from.
That group includes a significant number of veterans. Roughly half of all veterans nationwide are registered as independent or unaffiliated voters. Pennsylvania is home to nearly 800,000 veterans — the fourth-largest veteran population in the country. That means tens of thousands of people who wore the uniform in service to democracy are now denied a voice in shaping it.
The irony is glaring. Independent voters are heavily courted during general elections, often seen as pivotal swing voters in statewide and national races. Yet we’re denied a say in deciding which candidates appear on the ballot in the first place.
This inequity is only growing. Independent registration in Pennsylvania has surged by 25% since 2010, reflecting a broader shift away from traditional party structures.
The solution is straightforward: Allow independent and unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary to vote in each year. Pennsylvanians are commonsense people, and it’s no surprise this reform enjoys overwhelming public support. New polling shows that 82% of Pennsylvanians — including 87% of independents, 85% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans — favor this change.
A bill to allow independents to vote in primaries received bipartisan support in the House last year and has been reintroduced. A similar, bipartisan bill is expected soon in the Senate. At a time when trust in government is fragile, denying participation only deepens cynicism and disengagement. If we want to restore faith in our leaders and institutions, we must first restore the right to vote where it counts.
It’s time to end this exclusion and ensure that every Pennsylvanian who helps fund our elections has a full voice in them. You can help. Contact your state representative and senator. Tell them it’s time for full participation in Pennsylvania’s elections. Tell them to support open primaries — and give veterans like me the chance to help choose who represents us at every level of government.
Ed Beck is an advocate for Veterans for All Voters.