Party Enrollment: Hiding Third Parties?

 


A check of the Monroe County Board of Elections database for party enrollments shows that it follows the state practice and breaks out only the four parties the state recognizes: Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Family. That is due to a rule that only those parties that tallied 50,000 votes in the most gubernatorial election are officially recognized.

That means that small parties like the American Solidarity Party are all tossed under the category "Blanks" - along with the voters who did not register with a particular party.

Why?

Is this a way to control and hide those third parties? Is this a way to try to prevent them from getting attention and followers? Is this a way to make it more difficult for them to get candidates on the ballot? One wonders.

When it comes to Gates, here's the breakdown as of October 2023:

Registered voters: 19,898

     Democratic 7,482
     Republican 5,714
     Conservative 433
     Working Family 91
     Blanks 6,178

Interestingly, even though all the town offices are held by Republicans - as they have for many years - the Democrats actually have a higher enrollment. There are also more Blanks - though they do not belong to any one party, or any party at all. One could probably find out the numbers if one went through all 6,178 of the registration forms, but that would take a bit of time and work. 
 
In addition to the American Solidarity Patty there might be members of  some parties that have gained some prominence if not in the state at least nationally in recent years such as the Green Party, the Independence Party, the Liberal Party, and the Libertarian Party. 

There may even be members of the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, or the Prohibition Party.

Even if the State and the County will not list them, it would be nice if the Town did. Perhaps if the voters knew about more of these parties they might find one that better suits their beliefs than the current limited and controlling options.

Giving the voters more knowledge and information makes for a healthier democracy.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scenes From The Dolomite Forest and Wildlife Area

Image
  I visited the Dolomite Forest and Wildlife Area, gaining access through a road that enters part of it. The area is at the center of a controversy. The 110 acres donated to the Town were initially intended for parkland and nature trails, but the Town of Gates began considering using some of the land to relocate the Town Highway Department. The facilities would be in view of a number of homes. Neighbors are concerned about the noise, the heavy traffic, the pollution, and the lowering of property values. Neighbors protested, as they continue do, and Town officials said it's not a done deal - despite thousands being already spent and even proposed site plans being developed. The neighbors are skeptical.  Below are some of the homes that can be seen from the proposed site of the Department's buildings and garages: This is the site of one of the proposed entrance roads - between two houses! Imagine heavy equipment driving between these homes. Trees would have to be removed. The sit
Read more

Imagine Looking Out Your Back Window ...

Image
  Imagine looking our your back window and seeing something like the above. That's what some residents along Hinchey Road and Howard Road might see if the Town of Gates does ultimately decide to relocate the Highway Department to part of the Dolomite Forest and Wildlife area.  Although the buildings will be newer, and there may be some landscaping, there will still be buildings in clear view from backyards. Some of those buildings will likely be taller. There would also be vehicles parked there. And, as time passes, the facilities will wear down.  If elected as a Councilman, I will oppose any efforts to use the Dolomite nature area for this purpose. The area should be left for parkland and nature trails. Gates needs more green space. The Highway Department facilities do need improvement. But there are more appropriate sites where the Department can be housed - including the current site where improved facilities can be built.
Read more

Two Days to Go!

Image
  Back on September 27, I announced I was running as a write-in candidate for Gates Town Board. Several factors led me to make this decision. One was that the two officially announced candidates were running unopposed. They were running as Republicans with cross endorsement by the Conservative Party. But the other parties active locally - the Democrats, the Greens, the Libertarians - didn't have anyone running. Nothing against the candidates personally, but with them running unopposed the people of Gates had no choice; that's not democracy. I also thought that this would give me a chance to promote some of my pro-life,, environmental, and open government values. Finally, I thought it would be a way to promote the American Solidarity Party. My initial campaign pledges included banning Planned Parenthood from town sponsored and financed events, and preserving green space in the town. They now stand at: - Banning Planned Parenthood from all town sponsored and financed events - Pa
Read more