New Yorkers will not have the opportunity to vote on whether to implement open primaries in the city after a recent decision by a city panel.
On Wednesday, the Charter Revision Commission announced it would not place the open primaries measure on the ballots for the upcoming November elections.
The proposal had aimed to allow all voters, regardless of their political party affiliation, to participate in a ‘jungle primary’ where all candidates would be listed, and the top two vote-getters would proceed to the general election.
Currently, New York’s primary elections are limited to registered party members only.
For instance, the Democratic primary held on June 24 was exclusive to registered Democrats, who voted to select the party’s nominee for mayor, while registered Republicans faced similar restrictions in primaries for other city positions.
Chair of the commission, Richard J. Buery, stated that there was insufficient consensus among the commissioners, experts, and civic leaders to advance the open primaries proposal at this time.
“I hope civic leaders will build on the progress that we have made this year, develop greater consensus and advance a proposal to voters prior to the next citywide election,” Buery remarked.
The commission’s interim report, which was released on July 1, had highlighted open primaries as a method to potentially enhance voter turnout.
Supporters of open primaries argued that the initiative would include many voters who are not affiliated with any political party, notably those who are predominantly Black and Latino.
However, a coalition of civic leaders and organizations, comprising both progressive figures and Republicans, contended that open primaries would favor establishment candidates and lead to a homogeneous political landscape.
Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper, co-directors of the Working Families Party, expressed their satisfaction with the commission’s decision, stating, “Billionaires failed to buy New York’s primary system.”
They further commented, “It’s no coincidence that after a historic primary win for working New Yorkers, the rich and well-connected attempted to twist our electoral system in their favor — but organized people fought back against their attempts to diminish our power.”
Some civil rights advocates, such as L. Joy Williams, who serves as the New York state president for the NAACP, criticized the commission for making decisions too hastily, while acknowledging that the concept of open primaries has merit.
“Amending our primary system can still be done smartly,” Williams and another civic leader co-wrote last week.
“But rushing such a substantive change on the ballot creates unnecessary division.”
Political trends in New York currently show a significant number of registered Democrats in comparison to registered Republicans.
This dynamic means that the winner of any Democratic primary is generally favored to win in the general election.
As a result, Republicans and independent voters are often excluded from major electoral decisions due to their inability to participate in Democratic primaries.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, during the commission’s last public hearing, supported the current primary system, suggesting that the need for change was being pushed by those dissatisfied with recent electoral results, particularly former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s defeat in the Democratic mayoral primary.
“That’s democracy as we have practiced it here for generations,” Lander remarked, referencing traditional primaries.
“Now it appears some people — for whom the race didn’t go the way they wanted — want to change the rules.”
Despite the decision on open primaries, the commission plans to vote on advancing four land-use proposals aimed at increasing affordable housing, along with another election proposal that would reschedule municipal elections to even-numbered years to potentially enhance voter turnout.
The interim report indicated that shifting the timing of elections could significantly affect participation rates, perhaps more so than implementing open primaries.
The commissioners are scheduled to make their final decision during a public meeting on July 21, with plans to present five proposals to city voters this November.
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