NYC Looking at Open Primaries

Fans and Foes of how New York City runs Elections will duke it out tonight, as the Charter Revision Commission weighs putting a Question on the Ballot this November, to switch to Non-Partisan (Open) Primary Elections. The idea: All Candidates for an office would run in the same Primary, regardless of Party Affiliation, and the Top Two Vote Getters would then Face-Off in the General Election.

To supporters, it’s a Common Sense fix to boost Participation. “Hundreds of thousands of working people cannot vote in our most consequential elections because they choose to register as independent,” said Vincent Albanese, Executive Director of the New York State Laborers’ Political Action Fund. These NYC 1,101,006 Independent Voters pay Taxes to run Elections, and they can't take part in the Primary. The Switch to “Open Primaries” from Closed Primaries, would fundamentally Change Elections in the City.

Charter Revision Commission settled on Five Ballot Questions in a report released July 1st. The First Four are meant to Change the City’s Land Use Process, to Speed-Up the Production of New housing. The Fifth Question would move City Elections. like the Ones we’re having this year for Mayor, to Presidential Election years. Then there’s the Maybe-or-Maybe-Not Sixth Question of Open Primaries.

Per the Report, the Commission “Continues to Consider” whether to Advance it and “is particularly eager to hear from New Yorkers about their views on this potential proposal.” The Public Hearing Tonight at the Schomburg Center in Harlem, will be a must-see Zoom for Election Geeks. It’ll be the One Chance to plead a Case to the Commissioners in Person. They’re taking Written Testimony through Next Week, but they’re making a Decision soon. The Final Vote setting what Questions will be put up to Voters is in Two weeks, on July 21st.

The Working Families Party and their Allies have been having a “Massive Freakout”, as One Opponent described it, and People on both sides of the Debate have been hounding Commissioners behind the Scenes. The Conversation will get Louder in the Final Weeks.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker