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Open Primaries was founded in 2009 by John Opdycke, and began as a project of Independent Voting as a way of organizing independents around the defining feature of their second-class status in politics. At the time, the idea of reforming or even challenging the status quo primary election process was not seen as legitimate, but as independent voters became the fastest growing group of voters in the country and more and more party members came to understand the connection between closed partisan primaries and hyper-partisanship and unaccountable government, it grew and took on a life of its own. Open Primaries was officially founded as its own formal organization in 2014.
Our mission is to advocate for open and nonpartisan primary systems, counter efforts to impose closed primaries, educate voters and policymakers, advance litigation, train spokespeople, conduct and support research, and participate in the building of local, state, and national open primaries coalitions.
We are movement builders. That means that while individual wins in the legislature or at the ballot box are important, losing well also breeds future success. The ongoing process of organizing in and of itself contains successes every day. The process necessarily involves building a community of independent voters who work together to enact reforms to distinguish, define, and empower themselves all over the country. Every time a voter gets inspired and involved - the community grows, and the prospects for the independent movement and for lasting reforms get stronger.
No one thought it would be possible to pass an open primaries bill through a state legislature. But, in 2022, we proved them wrong and led the effort to pass open primaries in Maine with only local activists and no national partners. In a historic bipartisan vote, the Maine legislature passed a semi-open primary bill, allowing independent voters (32% of all Maine voters) the right to pick a party ballot and vote in primary elections for the first time.
In 2025, we took what we learned in Maine, and built on it in New Mexico - where we had been partners in a decades-long effort to pass open primaries legislation as well. We similarly succeeded in passing a semi-open primary bill. We did this by working with local leaders, activists and elected officials, talking to voters and the press, performing countless hours of legal and policy analysis, putting in the work to build and nourish an actual movement of New Mexicans who wanted to reform their elections. We also used the success in Maine to encourage national partners to join us which they enthusiastically did. Taking effect in 2026, 330,000 unaffiliated/independent voters will now finally have the opportunity to vote in every election in New Mexico.
This year alone (2025) is proving to be the biggest year for open primaries and independent voters yet.
Independents are the fastest growing and largest group of voters in the country. That means every element of the political establishment is feeling the pressure to let all voters vote.
From passing open primaries in New Mexico, to advancing litigation in Maryland to challenge closed primaries, to demanding reform in NYC, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Oklahoma and Florida, to stopping efforts to close the primaries across a half dozen southern states, independents are standing up, protesting at primary polls, speaking out in the media, organizing and demanding change, and reform is growing from coast to coast.
We are both building towards organizing and educating independent voters to emerge from their second class status in our politics to become the political force that they deserve to be, and empowering them to attain fair and equal standing with other voters who chose to register with a political party.
Independents are the largest and fastest growing group of voters, and that’s only going to continue to be the case. Independents are only starting to organize, find their voice, and realize their political power. They are already the deciding factor in all elections - that is going to continue to be the case.
