On May 1 ballots in UFT leadership election will go in the mail to the 189,000 members: teachers, paraprofessionals, guidance counselors, school secretaries and a number of other service providers, retirees votes are “fractional” to keep percentage of votes consistent, a long standing bylaws provision.
All the officer, executive board and convention delegate positions are on the ballot, members can “slate vote,” place an X in the slate box, or vote for candidates individually. The vast majority of voters vote for a slate, by slate I mean voting for the candidates in a particular caucus.
In the past the turnouts have been around 25% of members, about the same percentage as in primary elections.
Even in the hotly contested 2021 mayoral primary, with twelve candidates and early voting and no excuse absentee voting the turnout was 25%.
Attempts to move elections to even numbered years and hopefully increase turnout have been opposed by Republicans who favor lower turnouts.
The September primary was moved to June due to a court decision finding the September to November timeframe was not enough for military ballots
The June primary is Ranked Choice Voting, voters can “rank” up to five candidates, in the November general election the candidate with the most votes, undoubtedly the Democratic candidate wins. Mayor Adams has chosen not to participate in the primary and run on an independent line in November.
Polling is depressing, most registered voters can only name candidates Adams and Cuomo and Adams will not be on the primary ballot and Cuomo, in the last polling had a 20% lead, although the public has not yet focused attention on the election.
The UFT asked each candidate to spend a day teaching in a school before making an endorsement or endorsements, remember Ranked Choice Voting allows for ranking five, or fewer candidates..The UFT election only involves opening the envelope, checking a box, put in the pre addressed envelope and in the mail.
I’m voting for Unity Slate because experience, for me, is the quality I look for in leaders. A proven record of achievements, from the Class Size Reduction law, to preventing the Governor from removing the NYC Charter School cap to preventing drastic budget cuts last year: would you trust inexperienced amateurs who espouse “preparing for a strike“ as the best path forward?
If you criticized Trump online do you have to fear being snatched off the street and sent to a gulag in a foreign country?
A few months ago, absurd, now, not so sure.
I trust Randi Weingarten and Michael Mulgrew to lead the battle, and, it will be a long, contentious and at times frustrating fight, the future of public education is at stake and maybe our personal freedom.
Begin the fight by placing an X in the Unity box
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 