Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Luis Sosa, Representative of Citizen Action, opposing jungle primaries and proposing a three-party system
3:10:43
·
3 min
Luis Sosa, a representative of Citizen Action with experience in marketing and election work, testifies against jungle primaries or top-two systems, arguing they don't solve low voter turnout.
He proposes a three-party system (Democrat, Republican, and a third party based on a numerical threshold) with ranked-choice voting, believing this would give independents a stronger voice and potentially lead to the independent party becoming dominant. Sosa also suggests that a major barrier to turnout is the inability of campaigns to access residents in newer, doorman buildings, effectively disenfranchising those voters.
- Opposes jungle/nonpartisan primaries, stating they don't address low voter turnout, which he believes is solved by engagement, often tied to campaign funding sources.
- Proposes a three-party system with ranked-choice voting, allowing for a distinct independent party that could grow based on voter thresholds.
- Highlights that restricted access to voters in certain residential buildings for canvassing purposes is a significant barrier to turnout.
Luis Sosa
3:10:43
My name is Luis Sosa, and I am a representative of Citizen Action.
3:10:47
I have a decade and a half of experience in marketing, mostly focused in nightlife and concert promotion, and I've shared the love of helping people since the pandemic.
3:10:58
Worked a few elections, worked in a couple places.
3:11:00
So, basically, I strongly oppose the proposal, and I'm a throw some
James Inniss
3:11:05
of this out.
Carl Unegbu
3:11:06
Y'all see
Luis Sosa
3:11:06
I got three minutes, so some of this I'm not gonna read.
3:11:08
I'm just gonna freelance this.
3:11:11
I reject the the I oppose the proposal to move New York City to a nonpartisan primary system, the jungle primary, or the top two format.
3:11:23
It doesn't solve low voter turnout.
3:11:25
Engagement solves low voter turnout, and people normally engage with the people who fund them.
3:11:32
And campaigns that are funded by the people usually have higher turnout by the people who fund those campaigns.
3:11:39
My personal opinion.
3:11:41
I would like to propose something different, and I don't know if this exists already, but maybe you guys can educate me.
3:11:49
I propose a three party system where we have a Republican, Democrat, and third party system where parties can go into or come out of the main party system based on a number threshold similar to the Whig party or my personal favorite, the Bull Moose Republican party.
3:12:06
Not sure if you guys ever heard of Bull Moose Republicans.
3:12:10
Even though I'm a Democrat, I'm considered far left from Astoria.
3:12:13
You already know where it is over there.
3:12:19
But, yeah, it it, you know, it doesn't help.
3:12:22
You know?
3:12:23
They reduce choice, not expand it.
3:12:25
Like my brother mentioned here, we're part of a team, so you get to represent your team.
3:12:31
I strongly suggest a the the what we have now, the ranked choice voting, which is great.
3:12:36
This guy over here helped with ranked choice for a long time.
3:12:39
I like this guy already.
3:12:40
Don't know his name, but he's pretty cool.
3:12:42
I suggest ranked choice voting, but in a three party format, you know, democrat, republican, and independent where everybody has a chance to, express themselves.
3:12:53
I think that would give independents a strong, strong case to become the leading party in New York City over the next twenty five years and maybe in United States as well.
3:13:04
So, yeah, I don't I don't know what that jungle party primary, but I do think we should have a three party primary giving the that third party the option to grow or leave.
3:13:15
Who knows?
3:13:16
Democrats might leave.
3:13:16
Republicans might leave in a fifty, sixty year time span.
3:13:20
So that's it pretty much.
Sharon Greenberger
3:13:21
Thank you so much.
3:13:23
Any questions for our panelists?
3:13:27
She's asking you to send in your written testimony.
Luis Sosa
3:13:29
I'll send you my testimony?
3:13:30
Yeah.
3:13:30
But this this is pretty much what everybody said.
3:13:33
Low order turnout.
3:13:34
There's three reasons for low order turnout.
3:13:36
Actually, another solution that I didn't mention, I've been a field director in campaigns.
3:13:41
I've been a campaign specialist event event specialist in a campaign.
3:13:45
And the main issue that we have on the ground is that we cannot go into the mostly the new buildings, the newer buildings that are built that have doormen and, you know, exercise the constitutional right to let people know that there's an election coming up.
3:14:02
So while there are real estate interests who are, you know, backing elected officials of both parties and looking to get these buildings built, it also reduces voter turnout when we can't go into these buildings regardless of party, regardless of how you feel about whatever issue.
3:14:17
If we can't go into these buildings during election time, that's basically taking away the constitutional right from people.
Sharon Greenberger
3:14:25
Thank you.