Today is Election Day! As a New York resident, I'm writing to urge you to go to the polls and vote NO on Question 3. [I did earlier this AM.] Since this is an off-year election, we'll need every last vote to make sure that Mayor Bloomberg and wealthy Republicans don't eliminate party primaries in New York.

If Bloomberg's proposal goes through, minority voters would lose influence in city elections, the city's landmark campaign finance program would be hamstrung, and voters would lose the opportunity to pick their own party's candidates for the general election. In practice, this system will mean a shift in power to the wealthy and the Republican party.

It's not often that we agree with the New York Post editorial pages, but the Post is just one of a number of newspapers who oppose the initiative. The New York Times, Newsday, The New York Sun, and The New York Amsterdam Sun also have written editorials opposing it. As the New York Times editorial observed, "it is telling that the mayor has not been able to garner much support for this proposal and has found himself opposed by every major good-government group." (Editorial, 10/29/03) Those good-government groups include the League of Women Voters, Common Cause NY and NYPIRG.

Despite this strong opposition, the fate of ballot Question 3 will be determined by a few votes. That's because Mayor Bloomberg is bankrolling a massive mail blitz to get this ballot measure adopted. Last week The Amsterdam News called a brochure mailed by the Mayor's campaign committee deceptive, because it featured misleading quotes that suggested the paper supports non-partisan elections, when in fact it does not.

Please go to the polls today and vote NO on Question 3. Also, please ask your friends and colleagues to vote NO as well. Thank you!

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Artist Against The War [website]
http://www.aawnyc.org/