Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Carrie Lobman, Member of the Public, in support of open primaries
2:47:26
·
148 sec
Carrie Lobman, a lifelong New Yorker, independent voter, and educator, testifies in strong support of open primaries.
She shares reactions from her college students who were shocked and felt disenfranchised by New York's closed primary system, which excludes a large number of younger and unaffiliated voters. Lobman argues that the current system tells millions their voices don't matter, as they are often left out of candidate outreach, and that open primaries are about fairness, inclusion, and living up to democratic ideals.
- Supports open primaries, citing the disenfranchisement of millions of voters, especially young people.
- Shares college students' reactions of shock and frustration at being unable to vote in primaries as independents.
- Argues that closed primaries indirectly tell unaffiliated voters their voices don't matter, as candidates often don't target them for engagement.
- Believes open primaries are a matter of fairness and inclusion.
Carrie Lobman
2:47:26
Good evening.
2:47:27
Thank you, commissioners, and thank you all of the other people who have testified.
2:47:31
It's really been a pleasure to hear the different voices.
2:47:34
My name is Carrie Loebman.
2:47:36
I'm a lifelong New Yorker, a lifelong independent, and an educator.
2:47:40
I strongly support putting open primaries on the ballot because our current system excludes millions of voters and silences an entire generation.
2:47:50
Recently, in my college classroom, I shared an article with my college student students about the primary system and how independents in New York New York can't vote in the primaries.
2:48:01
Their responses were immediate and emotional.
2:48:04
One student wrote, it doesn't seem like a democracy if voters are being told their vote doesn't count despite being a contributing citizen.
2:48:12
Another said, I was shocked that this is even allowed.
2:48:15
It feels like we're going backward.
2:48:17
And from a student registered as a Democrat, I had no idea this was happening.
2:48:22
I can't fully comprehend how enraged independents must feel, but I sympathize.
2:48:28
These are young people trying to participate in a democracy.
2:48:31
They're not disengaged.
2:48:33
But New York's closed primary system shuts many of them out.
2:48:37
And it's not just my classroom.
2:48:39
Citywide, 49% of unaffiliated voters are under 50, and 26% are under 30.
2:48:46
In contrast, just 16.7 of major party registrants are 30.
2:48:51
This is a generational issue.
2:48:54
And it's not just that they can't vote.
2:48:55
They're often left out of the conversation, therefore, entirely.
2:48:59
We've talked a lot tonight about how do you engage people.
2:49:02
One of the ways people are engaged is they're targeted by the candidates who are running.
2:49:07
They send out information to their to people in their parties, and unaffiliated voters rarely receive information about who's running or what they stand for.
2:49:16
The result, millions of voters, many of them young, are told directly and indirectly that their voices don't matter.
2:49:23
As an educator, I'm outraged.
2:49:26
We don't teach about this in schools.
2:49:29
I wonder why.
2:49:30
We don't teach about the primary system in our civics classes in elementary schools because we know it's unfair.
2:49:37
And if students understood it, they'd push back hard.
2:49:40
And they are.
2:49:41
Open primaries are about fairness, inclusion, and honesty.
2:49:46
We tell our children they live in a democracy.
2:49:48
It's time to live up to that.
2:49:50
Please put open primaries on the ballot and let New Yorkers decide.
2:49:54
Thank you.