A new bill supported by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, including Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, would give unaffiliated voters the right to participate in taxpayer-funded primary elections.
The Let America Vote Act of 2024 was introduced last week by Fitzpatrick; Congressman Congressman Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine; Congressman Andrew Garbarino, a Republican from New York; and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat from Texas.
The bill outlines several key provisions:
- Requires states to allow unaffiliated voters to participate in federal primary elections and provides additional federal funding to facilitate this transition.
- Safeguards the privacy and independence of unaffiliated voters by restricting the use of voter data.
- Makes clear that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections and prohibits states from allowing non-citizens to participate in state and local elections, with penalties including the withholding of federal funds.
The proposal to open primary elections to all voters comes at a time when more and more Americans are registering as unaffiliated or with third parties.
Political independents now make up 51 percent of the electorate, according to Gallup polling.
In Pennsylvania, where primaries are currently closed to members outside the Democratic and Republican parties, the bill would impact more than 1.3 million voters registered either without any political affiliation or with third parties.
The White House recently said that federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections. Some localities have allowed residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.
“It’s simple: every citizen deserves to have their voice heard, and only American citizens should have the right and responsibility to exercise their vote,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement on his website. “This commonsense reform is not political or controversial. It ensures every US citizen, regardless of political affiliation, has the unequivocal right to vote while reinforcing election integrity by strictly prohibiting non-citizens from participating in tax-payer funded elections. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues as they join me in this essential initiative to fight for all American voices and restore faith in our elections, and implore every legislator in America, whether Federal, State, or Local level, to also stand firmly with us.”
“Participating in our democracy is a central right of citizens, and voters unaffiliated with any political party deserve to have their voices heard throughout the entire political process,” said Golden.
Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor Action, a cross-partisan organization that focuses on military veterans in leadership, announced support for the bill.
“The opportunity to vote is a sacred right of all American citizens. Regrettably, Independent Americans, who by many measures make up more than 40 percent of the population, are disenfranchised in many state primaries. This is especially true today due to gerrymandering of safe electoral districts by self-interested politicians. This bill ensures these tens of millions of Americans are able to vote in primaries and brings more competition to our elections,” said Barcott.
In Pennsylvania, there are four ways residents can register to vote or update their registration. It can be done online, by mail, in person at a county election office, or at PennDOT and many other government agencies.
Per the Pennsylvania Department of State, those interested in voting must:
- Register at least 15 days before the next election.
- Be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
- Be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
Residents must register to vote at the address where they live, a residential address.
For more information, to register, or to update registration, visit the state voter website.
