RESOURSES

Gov. Wes Moore gives me hope. In Maryland, there are more than a million of us unaffiliated voters who are unable to vote in the primary elections. However, in most jurisdictions, the “final” decision of who is elected to Congress is made in those primaries because, as Moore said in an interview with Bill Maher in April, “over 92% of these congressional districts … are not competitive [in general elections]. By November, it doesn’t matter.” That means that we independents h

On Primary Day, June 23, Independent Voters of Maryland volunteers showed up at polling stations across the state to send a clear message: voters shouldn't have to join a party just to vote. Supporters gathered to raise visibility for open primaries and connect with unaffiliated voters shut out of the process — showing up, being seen, and being heard. Thank you to everyone who participated, whether at a polling station or by taking action from home.

RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — Maryland voters headed to the polls Thursday in the final hours of Early Voting for the state's primary election. Democratic incumbent Gov. Wes Moore visited the Randallstown Community Center in Baltimore County to rally support for candidates he has endorsed. "Our democracy matters and our democracy needs protecting, and when we're going out there and I think about the candidates who I want to support, I think about candidates like Julian Jones for county

A voter marks her ballot at Fondren Church in Precinct 16 during primary voting on March 10, 2026, in Jackson, Miss. (Photo by Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today) By:Mayah Nachman-June 19, 2026 A number of Maryland elections will likely be determined in the primary, now just days away, but Amber Ivey won’t be participating. Not because she doesn’t want to. Because she can’t. Ivey is one of more than 1 million registered voters in Maryland who are not affiliated with any politic

Only voters who are registered for a political party can vote in Maryland primary elections CLARKSVILLE, Md. — A push is underway to get non-affiliated voters to temporarily join a party for Maryland's closed primary election. The number of non-affiliated voters is growing in Maryland — so, too, is their frustration with partisan politics as hostility grows toward the traditional party system. Non-affiliated voters say they feel silenced Independent and non-affiliated voters

Last May, five unaffiliated Maryland voters working with the Open Primaries Education Fund filed a lawsuit challenging the current role of the Maryland state government in closed primary elections. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs acknowledged political parties may have the right to exclude citizens from their respective primary elections, but it is unconstitutional for the state to organize and pay for elections that exclude unaffiliated voters aka independent voters . The

Everything you need to know about IVM's Primary Day picket on June 23rd — goals, logistics, organizers, and ways to take action to demand open primaries for Maryland's 1 million independent voters.

Independent Voters of Maryland surveyed Maryland's 2026 Senate and House of Delegates candidates on key electoral reforms affecting independent and unaffiliated voters. The survey covers: - Open & semi-open primary models - Top-two and nonpartisan primary systems - Unaffiliated voter representation on Boards of Elections - Non-partisan judicial races - Candidates' direct messages to independent voters All candidate responses are published as submitted, without editing, so vot

| GUEST COMMENTARY By TERRY LIERMAN PUBLISHED: February 10, 2026 at 2:28 PM EST Over the last 15 years, the Democratic and Republican parties’ voter registration numbers in Maryland have not grown. Meanwhile, the number of independent voters in our state has nearly doubled. As independents become the state’s fastest-growing bloc, both major parties are struggling to remain relevant to voters. It’s long past time for them to meet the voters where they are. Open primaries are a

Above: Del. Lily Qi and her panel address the committee. Below: Bill co-sponsors Del. Lily Qi (2nd from the middle on our right) and Del. Stuart Schmidt (2nd from the middle on our left) and those who testified in support gathered for a photo outside of the hearing room. February 11, 2026 | Annapolis, Maryland On February 11, advocates, veterans, students, and voters from across Maryland gathered in Annapolis to testify in support of HB 496 — legislation aimed at expanding

We’re building a new political home for Independent Voters. Not Left. Not Right. FORWARD. Learn more today: www.forwardparty.com www.marylandforwardparty.com

By LILY QI PUBLISHED: November 21, 2025 at 3:49 PM EST | UPDATED: November 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM EST In 2018, I ran for state delegate in Maryland District 15, which has the state’s highest concentration of Asian populations, most of whom are immigrants, with Chinese as the largest group. It should have been a huge cultural advantage for a Chinese immigrant like me. Yet, most of those voters were unaffiliated, making them ineligible to vote in Maryland’s closed primary electio

"Hello. My name is Melanie Combs-Dyer. I’m a registered “Unaffiliated” voter because I don’t agree with all the Republican positions and I don’t agree with all of the Democratic positions. I’m also the Executive Director of Let Us Vote Maryland which advocates for open primaries in Maryland and the addition of Independents on state and local Boards of Election. In the 1st Congressional district, where I live, there are over 123,000 registered unaffiliated voters, which

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A new lawsuit filed in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court challenges Maryland’s closed primary system, aiming to grant nearly 1 million unaffiliated voters the right to participate in primary elections. Filed on May 28, 2025, by five unaffiliated voters and backed by the Open Primaries Education Fund, the suit claims the taxpayer-funded primaries violate the state constitution by excluding independents. “This lawsuit is meant to address a situation where publ

Five politically unaffiliated Maryland voters sued the state Board of Elections this week, claiming that taxpayer funding of closed primary elections in which they can’t vote violates their constitutional rights. In Maryland, Democratic and Republican primary elections are “partially closed.” The state’s nearly 1 million unaffiliated, Green Party and Libertarian voters may only participate in major party primary elections with permission from the respective party, even though