Should Pennsylvania’s primaries be open to all registered voters?

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Kate Landis / WITF

A sign outside the Mount Joy Borough Offices directs voters on Nov. 3, 2020.

Airdate: Monday, April 18, 2022

Pennsylvania’s primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17. Only Democrats and Republicans are eligible to vote for candidates in their respective parties’ primary. Nearly 1.3 million Pennsylvanians are registered with a third party or unaffiliated with the two major parties. None of those voters can cast a ballot in the primary. History shows the voter turnout for the primary will be low too.

The good government group Committee of Seventy is among the election reform minded who want to open Pennsylvania’s primary to all registered voters, saying primaries would be more competitive and wouldn’t cater to the most extreme elements in the parties. They also point out that all Pennsylvania taxpayers contribute to the multi-million dollar cost to run the primary but more than a million people can’t vote.

David Thornburgh, Senior Advisor and Chair, BallotPA, a project of the Committee of Seventy, appears on Monday’s Smart Talk to make the case for open primaries.