Letters

The Southampton Press editorial board recently criticized the lack of real democratic (lowercase d) choice in our local elections [“Under Attack,” Editorial, April 17]. They were right to do so.

This year, Southampton Town voters will have no say in who will serve as their supervisor. Democratic Committee Chairman Gordon Herr — who claims “no deal took place,” then chose not to run a candidate for Town Council — handed a seat to the Republicans without contest [“Republican Candidate Drops Out of Southampton Supervisor Race, Joining Democratic Turmoil,” 27east.com, April 7]. Voters also will be denied a choice for highway superintendent or town justice.

That’s exactly why I filed an Opportunity to Ballot (OTB) petition, which is a mechanism in state law that allows enrolled party members to choose a candidate when the party has failed to nominate one. The goal was simple: Give Democratic voters across Southampton Town the ability to choose their own Democratic Town Council candidate in a primary. That is what democracy looks like.

Unfortunately, that democratic process was shut down before it could begin.

Southampton Town Democratic Chairman Gordon Herr, who simultaneously serves in a highly paid, taxpayer-funded role as the Board of Elections deputy commissioner, used his position to interfere. Moments after I filed the petitions, he personally contacted a candidate to urge him to object to the petition. After that candidate refused, the Board of Elections subsequently invalidated the petition over a potentially curable deficiency by calling a “special” meeting on Thursday, April 17. This meeting may have been done in violation of the New York State Open Meetings Law.

The result? Democratic voters have no say. Again.

The Press rightly called this lack of competition undemocratic. I’d go further: We’re watching a coordinated effort led by a powerful party boss, Gordon Herr, to prevent democracy from happening at all.

Voters of Southampton Town have a right to real elections, not a system dictated by the will of a single individual.

Jesse Warren

Southampton

Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.