RealClearPolitics published an op-ed by Anthony Thomas, executive director of Unite NY, and Kyle Ciminelli, president of Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. and Newmark Ciminelli.

They explain the importance of open primaries and how closed primaries across New York State keep millions of eligible, unaffiliated voters from participating. The SAVE Act may be making headlines, but closed primaries continue to exclude a large share of voters.

“Anyone who cares about protecting the right to vote and the integrity of our elections ought to care about election law. But the SAVE Act is largely political theater. And those of us who care about representation and democracy might be missing the elephant (and donkey) in the room — state and local closed primaries that block millions of eligible, unaffiliated voters from full participation. Consider New York State.

New York State is home to about 20 million Americans, the fourth most populous state in the U.S. Yet the state maintains closed primaries in major municipal races, including in New York City and Buffalo. As a result, roughly 3.1 million independent voters are locked out of some of the most consequential elections in the state — including mayoral primaries, which almost always determine the ultimate winner. This group of unaffiliated voters is now the second-largest bloc in New York State and the fastest-growing.”

Read the full op-ed here.