Nothing less than democracy in New York is at stake in this year’s election. That’s why I am voting for Howie Hawkins and the Green Party.
Most voters don’t realize it, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature rammed through a provision in the budget in April – at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown – that requires political parties to receive 130,000 votes, or 2 percent, of the vote, whichever is higher, for their presidential ticket or lose ballot access entirely. They also made it three times as hard to collect signatures to get back on the ballot should parties lose access.
This will be a challenge for a party like the Greens. First, most people don’t realize the law has been changed. Second, parties have barely had half a year in the middle of a pandemic to scramble to let voters know about the new thresholds. Third, with all the institutional barriers to third-party candidates, getting people to vote Green (even in New York) is extraordinarily difficult.
New York is going to go blue no matter what this year; Democrat candidate former Vice President Joe Biden is 30 points ahead of President Donald Trump. Voters can vote their conscience here and help save the Green Party and, with it, multiparty democracy in New York.
Peter A. LaVenia Jr.
Albany
Co-Chair, Green Party of New York
Times Union
