Why nearly a million Pa. voters couldn’t vote in the primary
JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH MORE. AJ. LORI. DEJA VU IS RIGHT. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THE NATION WILL BE WATCHING THIS MATCHUP, SETTING UP A 2024 REMATCH BETWEEN OR REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY AND DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE JANELLE STELSON, WHICH STILLSON IS NOW LOOKING TO WIN OVER. SOME OF THE 20,000 VOTES THAT WENT TO HER DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT IN LAST NIGHT’S PRIMARY IN JUSTIN DOUGLAS. WE’VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLE IN THIS AREA, AND WHEN SOMEBODY COMMITS TO TAKING ON THAT STRUGGLE, I’M REALLY PROUD OF THE FIGHT THEY GIVE. AND I’M PROUD OF WHAT JUSTIN DOUGLAS HAS DONE. NEW DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. JANELLE STELSON NOW WORKING TO BRING THOSE WHO SUPPORTED HER OPPONENT, JUSTIN DOUGLAS, UNDER HER TENT. WE ALWAYS BEEN IN A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH JANELLE AS WELL, AND SO WE DEFINITELY COUNTING WITH HER GROUPS LIKE ONE PENNSYLVANIA AND CASA IN ACTION SAY THEY WANT TO WORK WITH WILSON ON TOPICS LIKE ICE ENFORCEMENT AND WAGES. WE’RE FOCUSED ON WORKING CLASS, OFTEN POOR FOLKS, BLACK FOLKS WHO IN THIS MOMENT ARE WATCHING THE NATIONAL POLITICS AND ALL OF THE DISINVESTMENT, ALL THE CUTS THAT ARE HAPPENING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE WANT BOLD VISION AND THEY WANT PUSH, AND THEY WANT PEOPLE TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THEIR VALUES AND PUSH THAT THE ATTENTION NOW TURNS TOWARDS THE 2024 REMATCH. DEMOCRAT JANELLE STELSON VERSUS REPUBLICAN SCOTT PERRY. BY NOVEMBER, THERE SHOULD BE A VERY CLEAR CHOICE BETWEEN WHAT I STAND FOR AND WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH. AFFORDABILITY, HEALTH CARE THAT’S ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE, AND STOPPING THE CORRUPTION IN WASHINGTON WITH TERM LIMITS, MAYBE AGE LIMITS, NOT TRADING STOCKS, NOT BEING A LOBBYIST. REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY COULD NOT MAKE TIME FOR AN IN-PERSON INTERVIEW TODAY, BUT SAID IN A STATEMENT TO WGAL NEWS EIGHT LAST NIGHT, AFTER STILLSON’S VICTORY OVER DOUGLAS, IN PART, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND JANELLE STELSON COULDN’T BE CLEARER. I’VE LOWERED THE TAX BURDEN ON HARD CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIANS. WHILE MY OPPONENT HAS PROMISED TO MAKE YOU PAY MORE. JANELLE STELSON DID LOSE THE 2024 ELECTION BY JUST MORE THAN 5000 VOTES, BUT WE DID HEAR FROM STILLSON’S TEAM AND REPRESENTATIVE PERRY’S TEAM TODAY. THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO DEBATE EACH OTHER. WE ARE WORKING AND TRYING TO SCHEDULE A DATE FOR THAT NOW. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN 2024, FOR ROUND ONE, JOE BIDEN WAS PRESIDENT AT THE TIME. NOW FOR ROUND 2 IN 2026, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS IN OFFICE. WHO REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY SUPPORTS. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE TIDE SW
Why nearly a million Pa. voters couldn’t vote in the primary
Updated: 11:56 AM EDT May 22, 2026
Nearly one million Pennsylvania voters couldn’t vote in the primary election because the commonwealth uses a closed primary system. Video above: Perry, Stelson head for rematch after Pa. primary.What is a closed primary?A closed primary system only allows voters registered with a given party to vote for that respective party’s primary. Therefore, registered Republicans could only vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats could only vote in the Democratic primary. This means that independent and unaffiliated voters could only vote in special elections or for referendum questions.Pennsylvania is just one of eight states that have a closed primary system. Nebraska and New Mexico used to have closed primary systems but recently changed their policies to allow independent voters to vote.State lawmakers have proposed policies that would open the primaries, but all recent attempts have either been shut down by the Senate or have received minimal attention. Pros and consSome proponents of closed primaries say that they prevent opposing parties from sabotaging candidates before the general election. They also argue that every party should have the right to be exclusive. Closed primary opponents say the chance of sabotage is rare. They also contend that closed primaries can produce more ideological extremes, and that primaries should be open to all voters since they are publicly funded.
LANCASTER, Pa. —
Nearly one million Pennsylvania voters couldn’t vote in the primary election because the commonwealth uses a closed primary system.
Video above: Perry, Stelson head for rematch after Pa. primary.
What is a closed primary?
A closed primary system only allows voters registered with a given party to vote for that respective party’s primary. Therefore, registered Republicans could only vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats could only vote in the Democratic primary.
This means that independent and unaffiliated voters could only vote in special elections or for referendum questions.
Pennsylvania is just one of eight states that have a closed primary system.
Nebraska and New Mexico used to have closed primary systems but recently changed their policies to allow independent voters to vote.
State lawmakers have proposed policies that would open the primaries, but all recent attempts have either been shut down by the Senate or have received minimal attention.
Pros and cons
Some proponents of closed primaries say that they prevent opposing parties from sabotaging candidates before the general election. They also argue that every party should have the right to be exclusive.
Closed primary opponents say the chance of sabotage is rare. They also contend that closed primaries can produce more ideological extremes, and that primaries should be open to all voters since they are publicly funded.