Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sarah Prinsloo advocating for open primary elections
2:58:09
·
3 min
Sarah Prinsloo testifies in favor of open primaries, emphasizing that independent voters are a large and growing group excluded from decisive primary elections they help fund. She argues open primaries are necessary to ensure representatives reflect the needs of all constituents, not just party activists, and urges the commission to put the measure on the 2025 ballot.
- Highlights the large number of independent voters excluded from primaries.
- Argues primaries are the decisive elections in NYC.
- Believes open primaries make politicians more responsive to broader constituent needs.
Sarah Prinsloo
2:58:09
you could unmute Dean Rosso, I think that might be well, it's a a better.
2:58:17
Can you guys see me now?
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:58:20
We can't see you, but we can hear you.
Sarah Prinsloo
2:58:22
Okay.
2:58:23
Hang on a second.
2:58:25
You can't see me?
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:58:29
It's okay.
2:58:30
We we can hear you, though.
2:58:31
So
Sarah Prinsloo
2:58:32
Okay.
2:58:33
Well, I apologize that you can't see me.
2:58:35
I'm I'm actually on Dean's computer as well.
2:58:37
I just wanted to show up on the screen with my name too.
2:58:40
But I'm here actually to talk about open primaries.
2:58:44
And, first of all, I wanna thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Open Primaries.
2:58:50
I had to look up actually what the CRC was, and I was excited to learn that you guys are a committee that is basically organized to be able to have the city's municipal government more transparent and responsive to the needs of the city's residents.
2:59:10
And I can tell you that the needs of the city's residents really resonated with me because that's exactly what I
Diane Savino
2:59:19
think
Sarah Prinsloo
2:59:19
open primaries, will do.
2:59:23
And just to give you some data, and I know we've heard from different people who have spoke tonight, and I just so much of it resonated with me.
2:59:31
But just to give you some idea of different statistics, people who have chosen not to register with a political party are now the second largest voting group in New York State after Democrats.
2:59:45
And this trend is also felt in our city as a growing number of young people and those who are disillusioned with establishment politics are deciding not to pledge their allegiance to political parties.
2:59:57
These parties that have started to reflect little nuance or common sense in their policies, and they continue to use issues in the city as election talking points versus actually solving the issues.
3:00:11
And because New York is a democratic run or democrat run city, rather, primary elections are the most important elections in our city.
3:00:20
Yet over a million independent registered New York City voters are not allowed to vote in them even though their taxes pay for these actual elections.
3:00:32
These voters deserve a say in shaping the policies that affect their daily lives.
3:00:39
If the city council can pass a law that would allow noncitizens to vote in elections to ensure that their voices are heard, at the very least, we should allow all registered American citizen voters to vote in New York City primaries.
3:00:56
Simply put, open primaries will allow all registered New York City voters' voices to be heard, and their representatives will understand more of what their actual constituent constituents really want versus a vocal minority that currently controls the primary process.
3:01:14
And that's why I'm spending my time tonight to testify to urge you to please include open primaries on the ballot in 2025.
3:01:23
Thank you very much.