Commentary: 1 in 5 Registered Voters in City are Excluded from Partisan Primaries
New York is one of only nine U.S. states with a completely closed primary system, meaning only voters enrolled in the four established parties can vote in their party’s primary elections.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the formation of a Charter Revision Commission (CRC) late last year, shortly after the City Council adopted a revised version of his “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, which updates zoning rules to make it easier to build new homes across the city. The CRC was tasked with reviewing the entire city charter to ensure that the city’s municipal government works efficiently and remains responsive to all New Yorkers. More specifically, Mayor Adams asked the CRC to focus on how the charter can combat the city’s generational housing crisis, including a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate.
I attended the Charter Revision Commission hearing on government reform that was held on Staten Island on Wednesday evening, April 9, 2025. There was testimony provided by invited experts and members of the general public. While a number of worthy (and wonky) topics were covered, it was encouraging that the overwhelming majority of the impassioned statements made by both in-person and virtual attendees addressed one critical issue that deserves the appropriate response and action by the CRC - and that is the closed partisan primary election system that we are unfortunately still saddled with here in New York City.
To quote part of the description of this hearing, “After a review of the entire Charter, the CRC may recommend changes intended to help City government work more efficiently and better serve all New Yorkers.” That’s the part that brought me to the hearing: better serve all New Yorkers.
I’m one of the 1.1 million registered voters in our city who, because of my choice to not affiliate with a political party, is completely shut out of our primary elections. This effectively omits the preferences of voters like me throughout the city who are otherwise ready and willing to participate meaningfully in our ongoing process of self-governance, but who aren't interested in joining a political party. Twenty-five percent of all registered voters on Staten Island are independents - the highest percentage of independents within the five boroughs.
It is currently primary season, and recently I was out for a walk on the waterfront down by the ferry. I could see someone handing out flyers and talking to people. A few moments later, they approached and questioned me directly as many of us have experienced. “Are you a registered Democrat?,” they asked. In an instant, they vanished as soon as I told them I was an independent voter. There was no attempt or interest in introducing their candidate to me - what they stand for, why they are running, how their leadership might benefit me, or our city.
Perhaps this is poor electioneering. But it’s deeper than that. This behavior is in fact a sad and logical result of a contorted system. In this instance - because I’m not a registered Democrat - I, like so many others in this city, am relegated to a second-class status, or one could even say a non-status.
Not only can voters like me not vote in our publicly-funded primary elections, but so profound and insidious is the dynamic that has been created over decades that has normalized excluding independent voters from the process that even speaking with an unaffiliated voter on the street is seen as futile. The system we have says to independent voters: You don’t matter. You don’t exist. Talking with you is worthless and pointless.
It was incredible and affirming to hear our own former NY State Senator, Diane Savino - who is serving as a member of the CRC and previously served as Executive Director in 2024 - respond to the wave of testimony on the topic, when she admitted the current system “effectively disenfranchises unaffiliated voters because as we all know for the most part the Democratic primary is the equivalent of the general election in this city. Decisions are made in June, and everybody else is stuck with whoever the Democratic candidates are that are chosen in that party’s primary.”
Savino added, “we have seen the deterioration of the body politic, and largely because of the bitter partisanship that exists between the two major parties that essentially control our election process.”
New York is often referred to as the greatest city in the country, or world. We must finally join the other great cities and states in our country that have open primaries, where people can vote without the condition of identifying themselves with a political party. Let us all show up - as New Yorkers - and vote in the primaries.
Written by: Danny Battista, St. George resident
