Gibbons, King try to change Pennsylvania primary rules (for next time)

State Rep. Jaret GibbonsWhile most people are focusing on tomorrow’s primary, Pennsylvania lawmakers have set their sights on next year and beyond, with representatives authoring competing bills that could change the degree of access that independent voters have to future party primaries.

State Rep. Jaret Gibbons introduced a bill last Friday that would give registered Independents a vote in primary elections, according to a press release from her office.

Rep. Chris King also introduced a bill last week, which calls for a "semi-open primary," a type held in New Hampshire and nine other states, according to King.

Pennsylvania's closed primaries are taxpayer funded, unlike most other states with closed primaries, where the parties pay for the costs of the balloting.