Why independents can’t vote for candidates this May, and the push to change that – By Kate Huangpu (Spotlight Pa) / April 30, 2022
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HARRISBURG — When Diana Dakey registered to vote in Pennsylvania, she chose to tick the box that would leave her without a political party.
“I did not feel that I could label myself as a Republican or a Democrat,” said Dakey, an independent voter from Lackawanna County. “I can’t bring myself to be painted in a partisan lens.”
However, with that choice, Dakey knew that she would forgo the ability to vote for candidates in any primary election. Over a million other Pennsylvanians have made that same decision.
Pennsylvania is one of only nine states with a closed primary system. People who register without a party affiliation or with smaller third parties, such as the Green or the Libertarian Party, are unable to vote for Democratic or Republican candidates in the spring races that determine who runs in the general election.
