Opinion: The only way to build a stronger democracy is by giving more voices more choices

Tim Dunn, the executive director of Unite NY, advocates for reforms that he says will give more voters more opportunities to vote in this opinion piece. Eagle file photo by Jacob Kaye

By Tim Dunn

Every voter in the country knows that when a person goes to the polls, their vote is counted. But what if your vote actually mattered? What if voters got to choose from multiple candidates, representing different viewpoints and backgrounds, not just those hand-picked by party leaders? In many areas of our nation, this is the case.

Unfortunately, in New York, restrictive ballot access laws, partisan gerrymandering, closed elections, and party bosses selecting candidates behind closed doors have left voters with fewer and fewer choices. More people feel like their votes do not matter and more people, especially those that consider themselves independents, are staying home.

Last year’s election for governor serves as a perfect example. For the first time since 1948, New Yorkers only had two candidates to choose from. It was only the second time in state history that happened, and the result was that less than 40 percent of New York City residents voted, and two-thirds of voters not affiliated with a political party stayed home as well.

How do we fix this problem? Unite NY thinks the answer is to fight for reforms that give more voices and more choices, creating a stronger democracy. Our organization is working to bring people together and raise our collective voice, working with lawmakers to change New York’s broken political system.

The premise is simple, but powerful – democracy is good, but more democracy is better. To strengthen our democracy, we’re fighting for reforms that will give frustrated voters a reason to return to the polling places and participate in our electoral system.

One way we are doing this is by showing policy makers clear numbers on how voters feel. That was the driving premise behind the launch last year of our Voter Empowerment Index (VEI). The VEI provides independent polling to track voter sentiment on various reforms, and last year’s results uncovered 40 percent of New Yorkers are considering leaving the state, more than two thirds of voters want term limits, and 60 percent want to make it easier for candidates to get on the ballot.

Thanks to a new partnership with Citizen Data, we’ll be expanding the VEI in 2023, with our first installment set to debut in just a few weeks. A sneak peek at that data tells us is that voters in Queens are ready for change, as more than 55 percent of respondents from the borough think the state is on the wrong track. However, the thirst for reform is real, with more than 64 percent of Queens voters supporting term limits, 60 percent supporting ballot initiatives and 55 percent supporting open primaries.

The full results will be out shortly, but the takeaway is clear, people in Queens are ready for more democracy.

Tim Dunn is the executive director of Unite NY.