Monday, October 15, 2007
Not sure why people do this sort of thing
but a founding member of the New Paltz Green Party is running a write-in campaign for county legislator, a seat I take to be comparable to a county council. Peter Healy is reportedly running because multiple candidates are running un-opposed.
But, it's not like elections sneak up on us. They are scheduled from here to eternity. Why not just get on the ballot instead of inconveniencing the voter by requiring that they write your name in? Maybe there is a great reason, but I am not sure I would get it.
But, it's not like elections sneak up on us. They are scheduled from here to eternity. Why not just get on the ballot instead of inconveniencing the voter by requiring that they write your name in? Maybe there is a great reason, but I am not sure I would get it.
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 6:00 AM 
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In many places, with a Democratic and Republican controlled Board of Elections, with challenges from the same D&R parties, and without ballot status (which means you often have to get more signatures that the Ds or Rs with less resources) it is almost impossible to get on the ballot.
So the only way to run sometimes is by a wrte-in campaign.
So the only way to run sometimes is by a wrte-in campaign.
I had assumed that, because we were talking about New Paltz, the candidate would have had access to the ballot as the nominee of the Green Party.
Of course you are right Roger, the Ds and Rs use every un-democratic trick they can to avoid competition.
Hell, I'm from South Carolina where Strom Thurmond won his first Senate seat as a write-in, so I'm not opposed to the technique, just didn't understand why he didn't get on the ballot through the same process that other Greens have in the past in New Paltz.
Thanks for the explanation Roger.
Of course you are right Roger, the Ds and Rs use every un-democratic trick they can to avoid competition.
Hell, I'm from South Carolina where Strom Thurmond won his first Senate seat as a write-in, so I'm not opposed to the technique, just didn't understand why he didn't get on the ballot through the same process that other Greens have in the past in New Paltz.
Thanks for the explanation Roger.
To clear up further, Pete is running for county legislature, a much larger district than the Village of New Paltz (and many more signatures).
Also, while I know in some states you can get ballot status in small districts, in NY ballot status is statewide - all or nothing.
As to challenges, in my county every candidate we have run since 2002 has been challenged, usually by the Dems. (They have even brought in a former BOE commissioner, now in a patronage job with OTB, to go over the our petitions.)
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Also, while I know in some states you can get ballot status in small districts, in NY ballot status is statewide - all or nothing.
As to challenges, in my county every candidate we have run since 2002 has been challenged, usually by the Dems. (They have even brought in a former BOE commissioner, now in a patronage job with OTB, to go over the our petitions.)
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