Green Party smells victory and has a good chance of getting a solid win in Astoria, Queens | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles
The Green Party has a good chance of getting a victory in local elections for the ridiculously diverse district of Astoria, Queens in New York City. Candidate Lynne Serpe is running on the Green Party ticket which has historic roots in New York and Serpe is looking to win a spot on the City Council. According to Serpe’s biography on her (https://www.serpeforcouncil.org) extensive website:
Lynne believes we must use our finite financial and natural resources wisely. She was taught these lessons by Depression-era parents who practiced conservation as an economic reality. The green economy means investing in energy-efficiency, clean energy and green manufacturing jobs. She understands the link between the environment and public health, the affect of pollution on rising rates of asthma, and the devastating impacts of childhood obesity and diabetes.
Lynne first moved to Astoria nearly twenty years ago, drawn by its community feel, proximity to the East River and amazing restaurants. She has seen the neighborhood grow and change (and rents and property taxes skyrocket) while the political power structure remains stuck in the past. Lynne is running for City Council in District 22 to offer voters a vision and a plan for a just, healthy and vibrant city. She asks for your vote on November 5th.
As with almost all third party candidates, Serpe’s campaign includes calls for election reform. Some great information is found on her website including bold proposals for election reform in New York and beyond. Take a look:
As your City Councilwoman, my proposals will save taxpayer dollars and increase efficiency – and not just for buildings. Instant runoff voting for city-wide primaries will allow voters to rank the candidates in their order of preference, avoiding a negative, costly and inconvenient runoff election two weeks later and saving the city roughly $15 million. Click here for a link to an opinion piece Lynne wrote about Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for the Daily News from back in 2009.
Lynne with her mother
Nearly fifty percent of Queens is foreign-born. We need to bring back non-citizen voting in local elections to allow legal residents who live, work and pay taxes in our city the opportunity for their voice to be heard. We also need to bring back proportional representation. We live in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the most diverse county in the country. Our voting system needs to allow for diverse viewpoints to represented at the legislative table.
Election laws need to be updated to improve access, from same-day voter registration to changes in ballot access laws that limit voter choice. Increased training for poll workers is essential, as are aggressive recruitment strategies to ensure enough poll workers are located at all polling sites. Below please find a recent opinion piece Lynne wrote about a range of election reforms:
VOTE FOR A CHANGE
People die for the right to vote. I think about that – the struggle and the effort and the fight to be counted equally – and worry about how many people today don’t vote. Some of it is a generational gap; kids are not taught civics in schools anymore. But a large part of it is the overwhelming feeling that our votes don’t count.
Our democracy is threatened when fewer and fewer people vote. In populist terminology: the 1% loves it when the 99% stays home (or, using the most recent runoff election as an example, when the 92% stays home). Those in power know how to play the election game and have no incentive to encourage more people — and more diverse viewpoints – to the polls. Of course, we also have the right not to participate. But, as my father used to say, “if you don’t vote, don’t complain.”
Some countries, like Australia, have mandatory voting. But they provide free media time for candidates and have more open and inclusive debates so voters can make an informed choice. They also usually have a system of Proportional Representation (PR) where the idea is to proportionately reflect the diverse will of the people (10% of the vote gets 10% of the seats, etc). This results in more viewpoints around the legislative table, which makes better public policy, in my opinion.
We used to have PR. It worked. Adam Clayton Powell was the first African-American elected to the NYC Council, using proportional representation. Third party candidates were elected as well, until Tammany Hall felt so threatened they fought to overturn it, leaving us this one-party town legacy that ignores the reality that nearly 1 in 3 of voters in NYC today are not registered Democrats.
So what else can we do? We can reform the patronage-based Board of Elections, prioritize poll-worker recruitment and training, and ensure that as many poll sites as possible are kept open and accessible. We need to implement Instant Runoff Voting, not just for citywide runoffs (which will save $13-$15 million) but for all elections.
Green Party Smells Victory Now
Choice is at the heart of turnout. Contested races drive people to the polls. Term limits gave us open seats and the opportunity for new candidates to successfully run for office, bringing forward new ideas and new visions. But getting on the ballot can be a blood sport in NYC, with campaigns (and their lawyers) challenging petitions with the goal of knocking candidates off the ballot, limiting voter choice. Signature requirements for independent nominations often exceed those of ballot-qualified parties.
Our campaign finance system is good in NYC; it provides matching funds to candidates who qualify, helping community candidates compete against those with wealthy friends and supporters. Unfortunately, independent expenditure committees can still dump millions into campaigns supporting or opposing candidates. However, we can (and should) introduce laws requiring that all election material have to disclose who is paying for them.
Another major campaign finance reform fight, for clean money elections, is at the State level – as is yet another proven reform: same-day voter registration. But the NYC Council can enfranchise the 1.3 million legal resident and taxpaying New Yorkers who are currently denied the right to vote in local elections. Here in Queens, we live in the most diverse place in the entire country. Intro 410 would allow our legal immigrants to vote, no matter where they are on their path to citizenship.
These are just some of the solutions. Not voting is NOT the answer. That is what those in power – those who benefit by the current rules – want: fewer people exercising their right to vote, to a government “of the people, for the people, by the people.”
Your vote is your voice. Don’t be silenced. Vote and be counted.
Democracy Chronicles has been run by Founder and Editor-in-Chief Adrian Tawfik since 2011. He received a B.A. from New School University and is based in New York City where he built DC from the ground up. See Adrian's Opinion Column for a sampling of Adrian's personal views and browse his hundreds of original political memes. Also take a look at the rest of our international team of authors.
Green Party smells victory and has a good chance of getting a solid win in Astoria, Queens | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles
Our democracy is threatened when fewer and fewer people vote. In populist terminology: the 1% loves it when the 99% stays home (or, using the most recent runoff election as an example, when the 92% stays home). Those in power know how to play the election game and have no incentive to encourage more people — and more diverse viewpoints – to the polls. Of course, we also have the right not to participate. But, as my father used to say, “if you don’t vote, don’t complain.”
Some countries, like Australia, have mandatory voting. But they provide free media time for candidates and have more open and inclusive debates so voters can make an informed choice. They also usually have a system of Proportional Representation (PR) where the idea is to proportionately reflect the diverse will of the people (10% of the vote gets 10% of the seats, etc). This results in more viewpoints around the legislative table, which makes better public policy, in my opinion.We used to have PR. It worked. Adam Clayton Powell was the first African-American elected to the NYC Council, using proportional representation. Third party candidates were elected as well, until Tammany Hall felt so threatened they fought to overturn it, leaving us this one-party town legacy that ignores the reality that nearly 1 in 3 of voters in NYC today are not registered Democrats.So what else can we do? We can reform the patronage-based Board of Elections, prioritize poll-worker recruitment and training, and ensure that as many poll sites as possible are kept open and accessible. We need to implement Instant Runoff Voting, not just for citywide runoffs (which will save $13-$15 million) but for all elections.
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