As More Veterans Become Independents, New York's Closed Primary System Can't Keep Up

Photo by UniteNY

New York has one of the most restrictive primary systems in the country. To vote in a party primary, you must be registered with that party, and if you miss the deadline to switch, you’re locked out entirely. For a growing number of veterans who identify as independents, that means sitting on the sidelines during the elections that matter most.

This week, Five Borough Veterans joined Veterans For All Voters and UniteNY in Albany to make the case that this needs to change. Together, roughly 25 veterans and allies spread across the state capitol, meeting with a mix of assemblymembers and state senators to push for nonpartisan primaries, a reform that would allow all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to participate in primary elections.

The ask is straightforward: open the process. Let everyone vote.

Why Veterans?

Veterans are leaving the two major parties at a notable rate. Surveys consistently show that the military community skews independent; those who’ve served tend to be skeptical of partisan institutions and frustrated by a political culture that prioritizes party loyalty over practical results. In New York, that frustration has a concrete consequence: if you’re registered as an independent, you can’t vote in a primary.

For a community that has sacrificed to defend democratic participation, being shut out of the democratic process carries a particular sting.

That’s what brought veterans from across New York City to Albany. Not a partisan agenda, but a basic civic one.

What Happened in Albany

The meetings were cordial. Legislators from both parties praised the veterans for their advocacy and thanked them for their service. But praise and action are different things. Across the board, lawmakers expressed little appetite for moving on election reform, a familiar response for anyone who has lobbied Albany on structural change.

It’s a dynamic that advocates know well. Closed primaries benefit the parties that control the legislature. Asking those same legislators to open the process is, in many ways, asking them to dilute their own power. The political incentives cut against reform even when the public case for it is strong.

That tension was on full display on Wednesday.

The Bigger Picture

New York is not alone in this fight, but it is behind. A growing number of states have moved toward open or nonpartisan primary systems, driven by rising voter dissatisfaction with partisan politics. The data is consistent; when more people can participate, more people do.

Veterans For All Voters has been at the forefront of this national push, arguing that election reform isn’t a left or right issue; it’s a democracy issue. UniteNY has been making similar arguments at the state level for years. The coalition that showed up in Albany this week reflects how broad that coalition is becoming.

What Comes Next

One day of lobbying rarely changes a legislature. But visibility matters, and so does persistence. The veterans who made the trip to Albany weren’t expecting an immediate victory, they were building relationships, putting faces to the issue, and making clear that this constituency isn’t going away.

New York’s closed primary system is a relic of an era when party registration meant something different than it does today. As more voters and more veterans choose independence, the pressure to modernize will only grow.

Albany heard from us this week. They’ll hear from us again.

In Service,

The Five Borough Veterans Team