Open Primaries Demands Mayor Mamdani Face Disenfranchised Voters

The call to action follows months of testimony before the Charter Revision Commission, where independent voters from all five boroughs described their exclusion from the democratic process. While 85% of U.S. cities allow independent participation in primaries, New York City remains an outlier. Mamdani defended the existing structure on July 8, stating the system does not preclude greater participation, a position that has drawn sharp criticism from reform advocates.

John Opdycke, founder of Open Primaries, characterized the mayor’s stance as narrow self-interest rather than progressive leadership, noting that the system disenfranchises over one million New Yorkers, 54% of whom are people of color. Recent polling commissioned by the group suggests that even among registered Democrats, there is significant support for opening the polls to independents. As the deadline for a response nears on July 20, 2026, activists are highlighting the contrast between New York and other jurisdictions like Washington, D.C., which recently moved to expand primary access to all voters.