Voting Rights for Independents
Let Us Vote in All Elections. It’s only fair.
There are over one million independent voters in Maryland. That is 25% of all registered voters in our state and the fastest-growing segment of the electorate. And it’s not just Maryland. Gallup just reported that 45% of all Americans identify as independent.
Yet here in Maryland, registered independents cannot vote in our state-run and taxpayer-funded primary elections. These are public elections. It’s not right, it’s not fair and it’s downright unAmerican.
Maryland is an outlier. One of only 14 states that shut out independent voters.
It does not have to be this way. State Delegates Lily Qi and Stuart M Schmidt have introduced a bipartisan bill to give Maryland’s independent voters the same rights as every other Marylander.
This bill, HB0496 would allow Maryland’s over one million independent voters the right to select a ballot in the state primaries without having to affiliate with a party. Similar bills have been passed in New Mexico and Maine in just the last few years and an identical bill is being debated in Pennsylvania. Now it’s Maryland’s turn. But this won’t happen without you!
- We need to make our voices heard in Annapolis.
There is a bill in the State Assembly (HB0496) that would allow independents to vote in the primaries.
Here’s the key – our state legislators don’t know who independent voters are and they don’t understand the severity of this issue. They need to hear from YOU:
I want to Join the effort today to win open primaries. Here are things I’m willing to do:
**NOTE: We need to update the Independents Speak Out Survey and change this question:
“Why do you think the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of MD’s close primary system is important?”
It should now be:
Why do you think it is important that the MD legislature pass HB0496 to allow independents to vote in the primaries?
