By allowing millions of independents to vote in primaries, LAVA would deliver the greatest voting rights expansion in half a century. It would abolish closed primaries nationally and ensure every eligible voter’s right to participate in every taxpayer-funded election.
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LAVA is sponsored by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).
Currently, 22 states hold closed presidential primaries or caucuses, and 16 states have closed congressional primaries, in which 16.6 million independent voters are banned from participating.
A recent Omnibus poll from Citizen Data and Unite America found that 72% of respondents support LAVA, while only 8% oppose.
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Yes. The Elections Clause (Article 1, Section 4) of the Constitution grants Congress the power to create laws and establish uniform standards for holding elections for congressional offices, including primaries.
LAVA applies only to federal offices. That means it affects elections for: President of the United States, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives.
The Act restates current policy by explicitly prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections However, states would be prohibited from using federal funds to administer elections if they permit noncitizens to vote in state or local elections. This would effectively put an end to noncitizen voting in certain local elections across 16 municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
LAVA would enfranchise 23.5 million independent voters in presidential primaries and 16.6 million in congressional primaries.
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