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More than 1 million voters in New York City don’t matter.

NYC has a million independent voters. They can’t vote in Primary Elections. It’s unfair. All voters should be included in our election process to make government work better for New Yorkers.

We don’t get the government we deserve in NYC

When governing, politicians care most about the people who get them (re)elected.

  • They make decisions that keep their voters happy.

  • This works when the majority of people vote. But they don’t. In fact an extremely small minority is voting.

  • This means a minority of voters is setting the agenda for the majority of New Yorkers on taxes, policing, housing, education, transportation and all the important issues that impact our daily lives.

“In the 2017 General Election, Bill de Blasio was elected Mayor by only 15.8% of all registered voters”

Because…

The election system in New York City is broken.

  • New York City’s “Closed Primary” prohibits more than 1 million Independent and Third-Party voters from participating in primary elections.

  • By the time they can vote in the General Election, there’s really no point. The winner has already been chosen in the Primary Election.

  • In the General Election, voters feel like they have to choose from the lesser of two evils - one candidate from each party.

  • This makes our general elections non-competitive and leads to some of the worst voter turnout in the country.

“Only 23% of all voters voted for NYC Mayor in 2021. There were nearly 5 million registered voters, but only about 750,000 voted for Eric Adams.”

Open Primaries will ensure every voter matters

Our plan gives a voice to all voters and forces candidates to pay attention to more voters to win. It makes government work better for the majority.

Think “Open Primaries” can’t be done in NYC?

NYC has been doing them for years.

  • They are called Special Elections.

  • Special Elections are conducted when an elected official leaves office before their term is expired.

  • If Mayor Eric Adams resigns before mid-March 2025, a Special Election will be held to replace him.

  • Guess what: The public, candidates, and elections officials, are familiar with this system and no one complains.

24 of the largest 30 cities in America have some form of Open Primary.

  • 15 of the 24 cities have elected people of color as mayor.

  • Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, the country’s 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest cities have Open Primaries and elected people of color as mayor.

Cities and States with some form of Open Primary

  • Los Angeles

  • Chicago

  • Houston

  • Phoenix

  • San Antonio

  • San Diego

  • Dallas

  • Washington D.C.

  • San Jose

  • Austin

  • Boston

  • Fort Worth

  • Columbus

  • Charlotte

  • San Francisco

  • Seattle

  • Denver

  • Nashville

  • Oklahoma City

  • El Paso

  • Portland, OR

  • Alabama

  • Alaska

  • Arkansas

  • California

  • Georgia

  • Hawaii

  • Illinois

  • Indiana

  • Iowa

  • Michigan

  • Mississippi

  • Missouri

  • North Dakota

  • Ohio

  • South Carolina

  • Tennessee

  • Texas

  • Vermont

  • Virginia

  • Washington

  • Wisconsin

“Our political system isn’t broken. It’s fixed”

— Katherine Gehl, Founder, Institute for Political Innovation

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