HOBOKEN – Some say that moving elections for mayor and council to November in Hoboken would save money and bring out more voter turnout, since voters would be going to the polls for other elections anyway.
But apparently, there could still be concerns. Here’s a letter from one resident (and oft-supporter of Councilwoman Beth Mason). What do you think?
Dear Hoboken City Council Members,
I will be unable to attend tonight’s meeting but I am concerned about the proposal to move our municipal elections to November.
The idea is appealing; it will save us money and might increase both voter turnout and awareness of local issues. If we are truly contemplating this because the populace as a body is weary of elections this is a laudable concept.
If we do adopt this measure however, have you thought at all about logistics? Since our municipal elections are non-partisan, how are we going to physically set up the ballot to keep the columns separate? When People for Open Government won the right to have the “pay-to-play” measure on the ballot the mayor and entrenched council majority tried their best to make sure it was as confusing as possible, going as far as to try to put the question on separate ballots on separate machines.
Unfortunately the populace may only be weary of elections because 2009 (and 2007 for Fourth Ward residents) were truly aberrations from the usual election process. If this is so could the motivation for this really be because the politicians are tired of elections? This is my real concern. Such a measure, unless carefully implemented, could very well become just another tool to maintain the entrenched incumbency of council majorities and not truly a way to open up the democratic process.
If you are hell-bent for leather on this course of action I beg/urge/plead that prior to even putting this up for a vote at a future meeting you put together a committee that includes council people from all factions and even includes community members to examine all possible ramifications of such a move as well as define how it would work.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sincerely,
John Stevens Keim