New York has a primary problem.

Too many elections are decided in low-turnout, closed partisan primaries, which are disproportionately dominated by special interests — especially in odd-year local elections. Not only that: more than 1 million independent voters in New York City are effectively disenfranchised because they are barred from participating in the elections that matter most.

This is a prime driver of polarization and hyper-partisanship — and it breeds cynicism on the side.

But in 2025, New Yorkers may have a historic chance to change the game by voting for open primaries — if the Charter Revision Commission puts forward their courageous recommendation to all voters this fall.

It’s hard to overstate how this would permanently change New York politics for the better.

Voter participation in New York City’s municipal elections has been dropping for decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, voter turnout was routinely above 50%. But it hasn’t been above 30% since 2009.

Consider this: In 2021, just 9% of all registered voters in New York City cast a ballot for Eric Adams in the Democratic primary for mayor — effectively handing him the keys to City Hall. In 2013, less than 7% of all registered New York voters cast a ballot for Bill de Blasio in the Democratic primary, kicking off his eight-year mayoralty.

This leads directly to apathy and alienation instead of civic engagement. But there is a better way.

More than 42 of America’s 50 largest cities have some form of open primaries or non-partisan elections — including Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago. According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board “research shows primary systems that are open to unaffiliated voters or entirely nonpartisan tend to result in higher voter turnout and more representative electorates.” Other studies have found that these kinds of reforms lead to less extreme lawmakers.

New York deserves no less. Elections should be fair and open to all citizens. After all, representative elections have representative results.

That’s why Citizens Union strongly believes that New York should adopt an open primary system — where all voters, regardless of party, can cast a ballot in the primary, and the top two candidates move on to the general election. Under this system, candidates can still list their party on the ballot, but every voter gets a say.

This will not just complement Ranked Choice Voting reforms — it will complete them. From the kickoff of their campaigns, candidates would be compelled to reach out to all voters and not just play to the base. It will reduce incentives for negative campaigning, prevent “spoiler” outcomes, and promote more diverse, competitive races. Voters would get a clear choice in the general election, and more voices would be heard throughout the process.

Here’s another reason to advance this essential reform: New York City’s closed primary system currently shuts out nearly 22% of the electorate simply because they’re independent. These unaffiliated voters are disproportionately young and diverse, with nearly 50% of registered independents under age 40. Their numbers are on the rise while Democratic Party registration has fallen since 2016 and the GOP has flatlined.

Research shows that nearly 90% of independent voters would participate in primaries if given the opportunity. Why are we turning them away?

New York has a once in a generation opportunity to fix this broken system. Delay is denial and a defense of partisan politics as usual. We should seize this historic moment, when frustration with the status quo is high, and place open primaries on the November ballot and work toward moving city elections to even years, which result in double the turnout of odd years.

At its best, the job of mayor is essentially non-partisan and problem-solving. As Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia said, “there is no Democratic or Republican way to clean the streets.”

Open primaries are not a radical idea but a common sense reform that expands access, strengthens accountability, and gives power back to the people. Now is the time to open up our primaries so that all New Yorkers have a real and equal say in choosing who leads their city.

Avlon is the chairman of Citizens Union, fighting for reform in New York for more than a century.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/05/23/new-yorks-historic-open-primary-chance/