Published in the Home News Tribune 05/18/03 [.pdf of the published Letter to the Editor]
Election process in N.J. unfair to third parties
http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0,21282,738559,00.html
On June 3 some registered voters that have declared their party affiliation will be permitted to vote in the primary for the candidate of their choice. This choice is denied those parties, such as the Green Party, that were allowed finally to have voters affiliate due to a state appellate court decision referred to as the CAPP decision.The day of the primary will also be the day that alternative political parties and independent candidates must submit petitions to get their candidates on the November general-election ballot.
Registered voters have been asked across the state in front of post offices and other venues to sign petitions allowing for alternative candidates to be placed on the ballot. This is one of many impediments placed in the path of nonballot-status parties.
As candidates making the effort, we have been pleasantly surprised as to the disappointment many voters have as to the unfairness of the system created by the two parties enjoying the monopoly on democracy.
Further explanation as to the realities of political power being kept in the control of two parties writing the rules for their potential adversaries also was noted. The only means under present law allowing the ability of political parties to share in the franchise of being a ballot-status party is to obtain 10 percent of the off-year Assembly vote. Based on the last off-year, an alternative party must obtain approximately 250,000 votes, making New Jersey one of the, if not the, most-onerous systems to obtain such status.
Ballot status comes with certain rights, such as a column reserved on the ballot and a state-sponsored primary. Of course, there is another perk regarding the formation of county committees enabling parties to raise additional funds to get their party's message out to the voters during elections. Such fund raising is denied alternative parties since messages from alternatives such as the Green Party will not emphasize platforms in relationship to contributions from Political Action Committees, but seek to represent their constituencies through a set of values.
The bar for reaching ballot status in New Jersey needs adjustment for a more realistic reflection of residents in the state. For instance, New York state sets its bar at the level of obtaining 5 percent of the governor's race as do 19 other states. Our state Legislature is not hearing what we have listened to, and that is that all parties deserve the right to be on the ballot without the present unreasonable barriers endured by all of the alternative political parties.
George DeCarlo
Ryan Reyes
GILLETTE (Berkeley Heights residents)
The writers are Green Party candidates for Assembly in the 21st Legislative District.
