Editorial: Don't give your Election Day vote to sham parties
John Prizzi watches as his ballot goes into the voting booth computer at the polling place at St. Augustine's in New City during the June primary. In the background, machine inspector Caterina Cozzi watches as voters participate in the primary. (June 26, 2012) Credit: Jim Alcorn
Whom you vote for is important. How you vote for them is, too.
Today's ballot offers five candidates for governor, but 10 lines. Andrew M. Cuomo is on the Democratic line, but also accepted nominations of the Working Families and Independence parties, and he created the Women's Equality line. Rob Astorino is on the Republican line, but he accepted the Conservative Party line and created the Stop Common Core line. Howie Hawkins is the Green candidate, Michael McDermott is the Libertarian and Steven Cohn is on the Sapient Party line.
Most of these lines represent real ideologies. If you want to vote for Cuomo on the Women's Equality line or Astorino on the Stop Common Core line, there is some symbolism attached. We don't, however, think cross-endorsements work well. Parties should stand for something and find their own standard-bearers to represent their views.
However, two lines offer nothing ideologically. The Independence Party has nothing to do with being truly independent; its name is there to trick you. It exists to trade votes it gathers for power and patronage. The Sapient line is even more of a mirage. Cohn has feet in three parties. A Democratic appointee to the Nassau University Medical Center board, he tried to run for governor as a tea party candidate in 2010 and is a protege of running mate and former Independence leader Bobby Kumar Kalotee.
Denying these sham parties the votes they need to survive would be a clear victory for voters on this Election Day.
