Though the Chinese community agrees that it should present a unified voice in elections to gain greater political power, arguments about the nonpartisan election proposal are intensifying as November 4 approaches. Community organizations and influential figures are using all possible avenues to persuade voters to vote for—or against—the mayor’s charter revision to eliminate party primaries. Both sides cite the participation and political benefits to immigrants as the basis of their opposing points of view.
The nonpartisan election proposal, drafted by the Charter Revision Commission (CRC), will be put on the ballot as Question Number 3 for referendum on election day November 4. If approved, by the 2005 elections voters would be eligible to vote for all candidates in a primary, regardless of which party they’re registered with. The top two candidates would then compete in the general election.
The CRC argues, among other points, that nonpartisan elections will increase the turnout of minority voters as well as the chances of minority candidates.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) was the first organization in the community to react against the proposal. On September 22, in a voters’ education seminar coordinated by AALDEF, staff attorney Glenn D. Magpantay explained the organization’s position: nonpartisan elections would drive Asian American voters away the polls rather than increase turnout. Magpantay said the number of Asian American voters registered with a party is increasing. He said that nonpartisan elections would blur the political opinions of candidates, and therefore, confuse voters.
In early October, a dozen community leaders, led by Margaret Chin, deputy executive director of Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), held a press conference in support of the proposal, stating that it would attract new immigrants, who have no concept of party politics, to vote. Chin has appeared at many community events to state her opinion—and gain more support in Chinatown. AALDEF was a lone knight until its position was recently reinforced by Councilman John Liu at a public city council hearing on October 23.
Although AALDEF didn’t attend the hearing, the conflict in the Chinese community on the issue was still quite apparent. Chin, who brought several dozen senior Chinese officials with her, faced challenges from Liu, who had previously been silent on the nonpartisan elections issue.
Chin and Liu have some history in common. They are both Democrats and were both candidates in their own districts in the 2001 city council elections. The difference is that Chin, as well as other two Chinese candidates, lost to the white candidate Alan Gerson in a district that included a large part of Chinatown. Liu won the election in Flushing, another area populated with Chinese residents, and became New York City’s first and the only Asian councilmember. Both said their opinion on the nonpartisan issue is not related to their personal interests, but in the best interests of Asian American voters.
“I met many Chinese voters who came to the primary but were told they weren’t registered with a party and were not eligible (to vote). They left and never came back for the general election,” said Chin. Chin cited a survey done by the CRC that 41 of the 50 largest cities in the nation use nonpartisan elections to elect municipal officials. According to the survey, turnout has increased in those cities and there is a 50 percent greater likelihood that a minority candidate would be elected mayor. In the Chinese community, Chin said, among 60,000 registered voters, over 12,000 are not registered with a party. “Nonpartisan elections would give them the opportunity to vote in the primary,” said Chin.
“Voters registered with a party are increasing in our community,” said Liu. “I doubt the CRC has done any research about the Asian American community for their nonpartisan elections proposal.” Liu, who was asked twice about the proportion of non-party affiliated Asian American voters, said that according to Alan Gartner, executive director of the CRC, it is 35 percent. Liu added that in the beginning of the 90s, the proportion was 50 percent. “The community has done a lot to educate its voters about the election procedure. Nonpartisan elections would only confuse voters,” said Liu.
“I agree that there are more voters registered with parties than there were before,” said Chin. “But we also have more and more new immigrant voters who don’t have a concept of parties. And voters who are from China or Vietnam may fear enrolling in a party. We’ve got to involve them in voting as well.” Chin, who didn’t disclose if she will run in the 2005 election, said that as a Democrat she does wish more people would register with her party. “But you’ve got usher them to the door of voting before they can make their own decision.”
Liu, who has no major contender in the upcoming election for his second term, revealed another consideration in an interview after the hearing: Chinese voters are not enough to guarantee the success of a Chinese candidate and candidates have to depend on powers from outside the community. “Chinese voters are not concentrated enough—even in Chinatown. Among Democrats and Republicans, obviously Democrats are more likely to vote for an Asian American or other minority candidate.” But Liu wouldn’t talk further. “I don’t think anybody would be interested in it. The proposal of nonpartisan elections is all about the Republican’s effort to weaken the Democrats,” said Liu.
This article was written as part of the Ethnic Press Fellowship of the Independent Press Association-New York.
