Letters

Your April 17 editorial, “Under Attack,” raises important concerns about democratic integrity — but it overlooks the very real democratic processes that exist within our political parties.

Party leaders don’t govern by fiat. They are elected by committee members, who themselves are chosen by voters in each election district. In Southampton Town, every election district is represented by two committee members, each with a vote weighted to reflect the number of voters in their district. That is not backroom politics — it’s representative democracy, scaled locally.

The process of selecting candidates is not always perfect, but it is deliberate and grounded in input from dozens of duly elected committee members. The editorial suggests that these decisions are somehow illegitimate if not decided by primary votes. But primaries are not forbidden — they are fully available. Anyone dissatisfied with a party’s nomination can challenge it by running a primary. And if no candidate is selected by a party, a primary can even be forced to fill the vacancy.

Moreover, New York’s election law provides ample room for participation outside of the party structure. Roughly one-third of Southampton voters choose not to enroll in any political party. They too can — and do — nominate candidates by gathering signatures on independent petitions. That, too, is democracy. But it takes work.

Finding capable candidates is not easy. Organizing, gathering signatures, vetting qualifications, and evaluating electability all take time, effort and judgment. Pretending that the ballot should be an open field for anyone with ambition — or an Instagram account — is unrealistic and, frankly, irresponsible.

It is also unfair for the editorial to single out one party leader, implying that a complex decision made by many was somehow his alone. Disagreements and internal debates are natural in any political organization. But party decisions reflect collective action and leadership — and those who don’t like the results have every right to get involved, organize and offer alternatives.

We should not confuse disagreement with disenfranchisement. Democracy is not only the moment we cast a ballot in November — it’s all the work that leads up to that moment. And that work is open to anyone willing to step up and do it.

Mackie Finnerty

Southampton