It is unfortunate in a democracy when the system is manipulated as a means to an end.
Don Kerr and Rebecca Rotzler's petitions to get their names on the ballot for the New Paltz Village Trustee elections in May were not challenged based on principle, but - based on their own quotes in the press - Cohen/Rocco supporters contested only the Kerr/Rotzler petitions for political, not principled reasons.
I have worked on my fair share of campaigns, and I believe anyone who wants to run for office should be given the chance, so I have never advised candidates to challenge their opponents' petitions. I took a look at Mr. Cohen's petitions and they were a mess, easily challengeable. It would have been easy to disqualify him, but why would you do that to someone who shares your agenda? In this case it’s particularly disturbing that petitions were challenged, because it was done by one elected village official and one appointed town official, and clearly selectively, so that it was not on principle, but an electoral strategy to knock off competitive opponents.
The result is that numerous village citizens have been disenfranchised: some for getting married and changing their name, some because a witness actually had her petitions "double" witnessed, and many for their exuberance in signing for more than one candidate on the same day (rather than erring on the side of the voters, the Board of Elections deemed throw them all out, instead of assigning them to at least one candidate).
With Kerr and Rotzler knocked off the ballot, bureaucracy, party machine, and politics have won over choice and democracy - but only in this round.
Join me in voting for Don Kerr and Rebecca Rotzler - mark your calendars to write in their names on Tuesday, May 7th - and democracy will win the next round, at the ballot booth.
KT Tobin
New Paltz
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