Today is the day – VOTE! If you vote, I suggest you vote the entire Working Families Party line. New York and Connecticut are the only states in the nation where “Open Ballot Voting” is both common and legal. That means that other parties can cross-endorse major party candidates and voters can vote on another ballot line if they feel that it represents their values. Votes on a minor party line play a major role in the outcome of elections and in determining subsequent legislation. In this election, the WFP is actually running the same exact candidates as the Democrats however if you and enough other people vote for them, they will get federal matching dollars to carry their platform further.
Most people talk about the Republicans and Democrats as if they are the only two parties in the country. There are others though, and the WFP is one of them. It is a grassroots, community and labor based political party with chapters throughout New York State. This country needs more choice, more voices at the table, and supporting a third party, especially if they are running a candidate that is someone you will vote for anyway on another party line (say Dem or Rep) is the best and flat out easiest way to make a difference.
The goal of the Working Families Party is to more forcefully inject the issues of working-class, middle-class, and poor people—like jobs, health care, education, and housing—into the public debate, and hold candidates and elected officials accountable on those issues. Our organizing strategy is to start local, think long-term, combine campaign work with organizing and education, and not waste supporters’ votes on candidates with no chance of winning.
How can you go wrong with that?