Woodstock Democrats Go To primary 2/5 edition

This article appeared in the Townsman, February 5 edition

The January meeting of the Woodstock Democratic Party Committee saw the unanimous approval for going to the primary system for selecting candidates for local elective office in the upcoming 2009 election, thereby foregoing the traditional caucus method.

Democratic Party caucuses in recent years have attracted an increasing number of participants. In 2003, a do-over for the position of town supervisor saw over three hundred participants, many of whom waited hours to vote by paper ballot, and most of whom could not fit into the Community Center to hear the candidates' speeches given prior. Many of the 500-plus participants in the 2005 caucus were so disenchanted with the process and its outcome that most of the incumbent Democratic Party Committee members were tossed from their seats in the next committee election. The 2007 caucus saw more than 600 participants, and although it appeared to run smoothly as a result of some procedural changes, some feared it was a result of dumb luck.

By going to a primary system candidates for the Democratic nomination for town offices must acquire approximately 150 signatures of Party members in order to appear on the ballot. The signatures must be collected during the petition process, which opens in June and ends in July. The election will be on Tuesday, September 8 between the hours of noon to 9:00 PM. The following positions are affected: Supervisor, Councilperson, Justice, Clerk, and Highway Superintendent.

Currently Jeff Moran, supervisor, Liz Simonson and Chris Collins, councilpersons, Richard Husted, town justice, Jackie Earley, town clerk and Michael Reynolds, highway superintendent, fill these positions. Councilpersons Terrie Rosenblum and Jay Wenk, and town justice Frank Engel are serving terms that do not expire until the end of 2011.

Woodstock Democratic Party chairman, Sam Magarelli, in a statement to party members said, "The overwhelming benefit of having a primary instead of a caucus is that the primary process will enable more Democrats to participate in the selection of their candidates."

Bill West, chairman of the Woodstock Republican Party saw good reason for the shift. "Going to a primary will certainly give more rank and file Democrats in Woodstock the opportunity to participate," he said, noting the growing number of Democrats. According to West local Republicans will decide later this year on whether to go to primary or maintain the traditional caucus, adding that to this point there had been no discussion on the subject.

The primary will be overseen and conducted by the Ulster County Board of Elections, which will be responsible for setting up voting machines, hiring custodians and election inspectors and other tasks associated with holding an election. The cost for such service will be charged back to the taxpayers of the Town of Woodstock. How much this will cost will depend on whether all nine election districts will be polled, or if the districts can be consolidated into one polling place, say for instance the Community Center.

A political calendar with precise information with regard to petition dates and the number of signatures required in order to be placed on the ballot will be issued by the Democratic Committee in the near future.