To the editor:
As someone with strong ties to Pelham Manor, I’m writing to encourage my fellow residents to vote “yes” on Proposition 3 this November. Having served as a former president of the Junior League of Pelham, vice president of the chamber of commerce and now as president-elect of a local elementary PTA, I care deeply about our village and its residents. I believe we all deserve fair and equal access to voting on issues that affect our daily lives.
Prop 3 proposes moving our village elections to November, a change that will have significant benefits for our community. First, it will ensure higher voter turnout by aligning our elections with national voter day, when many residents are already going to the polls. This simple change can help us avoid the lower turnout often seen in off-cycle elections, ensuring that our elected officials truly reflect the will of the people.
Additionally, moving our elections to a larger polling location at Our Lady of Perpetual Help provides greater privacy and convenience for voters. This larger space allows for a more comfortable voting experience and gives residents more confidence in the security and integrity of the election process.
By consolidating elections in November, Pelham Manor will also save taxpayer money, reducing costs associated with running separate local elections. Importantly, it will ensure county oversight of our elections, protecting against practices like ballot harvesting and ensuring the fairness and transparency we all value.
I care about the future of our village and believe that Prop 3 is a crucial step toward making our elections more inclusive and secure. I urge my fellow residents to join me in voting “yes” on Proposition 3 on Nov. 5 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Let’s make sure every voice in Pelham Manor is heard.
Amy Platt
424 Monterey Ave.
Shaun Breidbart • Oct 14, 2024 at 4:13 pm
We should not ever hold elections in a house of worship.
john lautner • Oct 15, 2024 at 9:45 am
it’s in the gym not the church
Scott Wolfgang • Oct 14, 2024 at 1:21 pm
This letter and the entire Town of Pelham Dem Committee effort to move the election date is incredibly misleading. For one, the county can run our local elections without a date change. The village could also hold the election at OLPH if people thought that was a better venue. There is virtually no savings as well – the village is on the record of it being maybe $5,000 against a $17M+ annual budget. Lastly the argument that it produces higher turnout is also misleading. Our contested election this past March had more voters than 4 out of the last 7 November elections.
What is not being shared with anyone in this letter and other outreach is the petition that was circulated to get this referendum on the ballot is the following: The signatures were collected by 29 individuals, all registered democrats and 7 of the 10 district leaders of VoPM on the Town of Pelham Dem Committee. 75%+ of all the signatures were also registered democrats. Among the first signers on 6/1 were a who’s who of the Town of Pelham Dem Committee, all witnessed by the Chair of the Committee, Allison Frost.
I would highly encourage people to educate themselves about this change as it is driven nearly exclusively by partisan politics than anything else as the Town of Pelham Dem Committee believes a November election will improve their chances of winning trustee spots. We need less versus more partisanship in our local elections.
Peter Bazeli • Oct 14, 2024 at 6:48 pm
I agree with almost everything you’ve written. And there is nothing wrong with residents of any political persuasion putting forth a referendum for consideration by all voters. There’s no shame in a Democrat-led effort to expand our democracy and ease of voting for our residents. I’m proud to see that this matter will be on the ballot to be voted on – fair and square – by all of our neighbors, regardless of political persuasion. Let your vote be counted! It almost wasn’t.
In fairness, I would highlight the fact that there is nothing more partisan than 100% single-party rule for over 100 years, with one blip of an exception. And there is nothing more partisan than that single-minded power structure doing everything they can, including spending our tax dollars on losing legal arguments, to hold onto their power. The legal fees alone in this foolhardy obstruction effort were staggering, and the costs to the Village to run its own election dramatically exceed your $5,000 number. It’s time we all became more active in our Village.
I look forward to a continuing robust community dialogue around what’s best for our Village. Accepting the status quo for decades has not resulted in a good outcome, in my opinion, and I hope to see greater civic engagement from all political persuasions in the future. The best decisions are made through discourse and discussion, and thankfully, we’re having more of that these days.