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Thread: Fusion voting impact on Lancaster politics / voters

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    Fusion voting impact on Lancaster politics / voters

    Fusion voting impact on Lancaster politics / voters

    In a recent ‘Another Voice’ submittal Jeremy Zellner, County Board of Elections chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee and Democratic commissioner of the Erie, wrote:

    With fusion voting a thing of the past, minor parties will nominate candidates who truly represent their philosophical goals, giving voters a meaningful choice on Election Day.

    The Green Party currently refuses to cross-endorse those who don’t share their environmental vision, and this should be the standard for every political organization that asks New Yorkers for their vote.

    https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/06/a...fusion-voting/

    In the 2017 Lancaster Council election the Green Party cross endorsed the two Democratic Party candidates. According to Zellner, the two democrats supported the Green Party’s philosophical goals and were the reason for the cross endorsement.

    The Conservative Party endorsed the two Republican Party candidates because they believed them to be the two candidates best aligning with their philosophical goals. Did they not meet the same standard as the Green Party?

    The Independence Party cross-endorsed a Democrat and a Republican. Both candidates were endorsed by their respective parties. Did they both share same philosophical ideologies or was the election line for all minor parties settled by primary winners?

    In the 2017 Lancaster council election there were four candidates vying for two seats. There were eight parties filling 16 ballot lines. If I am correct, Zellner is looking to reduce the ballot field to four lines, where the ballot might look like:

    Democratic candidate(s) – D, G, WF, WE

    Republican candidate(s) – R, C, I, Ref.

    Now that may cut the work down for the busy BOE, but it takes away from unaffiliated party voters (blanks) like me, and somewhere between 20-25% of Lancaster voters who:

    #1 Although voting for both democratic or republican candidates, but never a straight line, don’t want to be counted in with any major party

    #2 Want to see the results of the minor party line vote count

    Mr. Zellner’s logic would be acceptable if primaries were eliminated and the endorsing of party candidates lay solely in the hands of the committees of all parties and not later influenced by candidates ‘stealing’ the party’s endorsement and election line with unsavory political influence, outright lies, etc.

    In today’s ‘Another Voice’ Ralph Lorigo, Chairman of the Erie County Conservative Party refuted Mr. Zellner’s claim, declaring fusion voting and minor parties raise voter participation rate:

    I found Fusion voting is simply the right of each organized political party to endorse the candidate of their choice. This is guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of New York as stated in a New York Court of Appeals case, Hopper, et al. v. Britt, et al., Oct. 10, 1911.

    The existence of these minor parties actually encourages voting because people are more motivated to vote for the issues they believe in.

    Numerous polls and surveys have shown that minor parties in New York strongly influence voter turnout, improve competition, bring new ideas and mobilize voters who believe their voice will be heard.

    https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/13/a...participation/

    Well said, Mr. Lorigo.

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    Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    In today’s ‘Another Voice’ Ralph Lorigo, Chairman of the Erie County Conservative Party refuted Mr. Zellner’s claim, declaring fusion voting and minor parties raise voter participation rate:

    I found Fusion voting is simply the right of each organized political party to endorse the candidate of their choice. This is guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of New York as stated in a New York Court of Appeals case, Hopper, et al. v. Britt, et al., Oct. 10, 1911.

    The existence of these minor parties actually encourages voting because people are more motivated to vote for the issues they believe in.

    Numerous polls and surveys have shown that minor parties in New York strongly influence voter turnout, improve competition, bring new ideas and mobilize voters who believe their voice will be heard.

    https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/13/a...participation/

    Well said, Mr. Lorigo.
    I do agree with Mr Lorigo's statement. "I found Fusion voting is simply the right of each organized political party to endorse the candidate of their choice." It's too bad that he does NOT ALLOW his endorsed Erie County Legislators the same choice in voting for their leader in the legislature.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    I do agree with Mr Lorigo's statement. "I found Fusion voting is simply the right of each organized political party to endorse the candidate of their choice." It's too bad that he does NOT ALLOW his endorsed Erie County Legislators the same choice in voting for their leader in the legislature.
    Ah, but politics is the father of hypocrisy – you know that, Gorga.

    What I find interesting about Erie County Democratic Party Chair Zellner’s pitch is that his claim to eliminate fusion and save time and money flies in the face of the money and effort that will be spent by Big Brother in Albany to ‘make voting easier’ and get more like-minded progressives to make the state even ‘bluer’ and more socialist.

    Can giving illegals the right to vote be far off?

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    https://buffalonews.com/2019/03/04/s...fusion-voting/
    Proposal would prevent multiple lines on ballot

    New York Democrats Monday posed the strongest threat yet to “fusion voting” when party leaders called for ending the system that allows candidates to appear on multiple ballot lines.

    Not only have minor party leaders protested the anti-fusion effort when it first came to light, even presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., New York’s two Democratic senators – Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand – called for preserving the status quo.

    Sander’s tweet prompted a rebuke from Erie County Democratic Party Chair Jeremy Zellner, an outspoken advocate of eliminating fusion. “Sorry Senator, you are wrong,” Zellner wrote on Twitter. “Fusion voting takes voices AWAY from voters. When candidates are cross endorsed by multiple ‘parties’ it keeps activists off the ballot and simply becomes a way to influence elections which leads to corruption. See NYS ‘Independence Party.’ ”

    Democratic County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz in January cited a Zellner op-ed piece in The Buffalo News calling for the end of fusion. The county executive said the practice “promotes corrupt backroom deals with minor party leaders who stand for nothing but themselves.”

    Comment

    I find it hypocritical and disingenuous of the Democratic Party in Erie County to call for the end to a system they found most advantageous until a few years ago when the local minor political parties starting endorsing candidates aligned to their party ideology and values – especially in Lancaster.

    Independents and ‘blanks’ for some time questioned why the Lancaster Conservative Party was overwhelmingly endorsing Democratic Party candidates with contrasting political ideology polices and values. The Conservative Party now looks to endorse candidates with like conservative values. Was there a corrupting influence within the party that has been since eliminated? Indeed!

    The Independence Party likewise was infiltrated by the spouses of Democratic Party office holders to influence Independent Party decision making. I guess that was alright when the Dems did the manipulation and corrupting.

    As a ‘blank’ I favor neither major party and when voting time is at hand will vote for the candidate that I find is most qualified and with the town’s best interest in mind. I will only vote for such candidate on a minor party line, finding it distasteful to cast a vote for either major political party. If the New York State Democratic Party takes that option away from me, I will be less likely to vote democratic in the future.

    Currently, there are 30,720 registered voters in Lancaster - 11,693 Democrats, 9,393 Republicans, 9,634 made up of Conservatives, Independents, Working Family, Green Party and ‘blanks’ (6,612).

    In general, the Democratic Party is all about identity and inclusiveness. Take away our identity and you will piss a lot of us off; 9,634 potential voters.


    Lastly, what should be eliminated in New York is a primary system that allows challenges to party endorsements. That is when corruption is rampant with manipulative practices and machinations. That is where time, effort and money could be saved. And, what sense does it make for a party to endorse a candidate only to have that line stolen by a candidate with opposing values?

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