Closed primaries silence voters. They lock out Independents and, in South Carolina, force citizens into a Republican primary just to have a voice. When most elections are decided in primaries, exclusion is not fairness. It is voter suppression, plain and simple. No one in a free country should be required to declare a party to exercise the right to vote.
As someone who ran and won as a petition candidate in a strong one-party county, I can tell you firsthand how hard it is to educate voters on a simple truth: you should vote for the person, not the party. Too many people have been conditioned to believe party loyalty matters more than integrity, competence, or character. That mindset doesn’t strengthen democracy, it shrinks it.
Consider this reality. You are a Democrat who lives, works, or was simply born in a place like Lexington County. There is no competitive general election. The primary is the election. To participate, you must register as a Republican, not because it reflects your values, but because it is the only way to vote. You may know every candidate. You may know exactly who would best serve your family and community. Yet unless you pledge allegiance to a party you do not belong to, you are barred from choosing your own representative.
That is not democracy. That is coercion.
If lawmakers truly care about fair elections, they should also address South Carolina’s primary calendar. Holding state primaries at the start of summer vacation depresses turnout and excludes working families, parents, teachers, and young voters. Align state primaries with presidential primaries, when voters are engaged and paying attention. Most South Carolinians believe the election ends after the presidential primary. By design, the real decisions are made quietly, when fewer people are watching and fewer voices are heard.
Democracy should not depend on party loyalty tests or strategic timing that limits participation. It should reward informed voters, independent thinking, and competitive ideas. Every citizen deserves a meaningful vote, not just those willing to check the “right” party box.
Vote for the person. Open the primaries. Let democracy breathe.
WHILE I BREATHE 