What happened in this past municipal election in Ward 5 is not something that was contrived by any of the four Common Council candidates or either of the two registrars of voters. If anything is to blame for what happened there, it can be traced back to the most recent redistricting of Ward 5 voting places. The process was supposed to result in fairly equal numbers of voters in each polling place.
As it is now, in Ward 5, Gaffney School has 457 eligible voters, DiLoreto School has 2,100+ and Pulaski School has 3,200+. This can hardly be construed as an equitable number of voters in each of the Ward 5 polling places. While it is impossible to blame this inequity on any one person, the fault clearly involved gerrymandering of the Ward 5 district in the most recent redistricting process (writer’s opinion). For example, the very short street on which I live was “carved up” so that voters on this street had to vote at three different polling places. Over 60 voters that came to Gaffney School were turned away because these people were in the wrong place. Many left the polling place disgruntled and told me they would not vote. No one can be sure how these people would have voted had they gone to the correct polling place. How Ward 2 ballots ended up at the DiLoreto School will forever be a mystery. Hardly worth blaming the mistake on a particular individual or party.
This mistake will be discussed/adjudicated by a Superior Court Judge on Nov. 25 and a decision as to how to proceed will be handed down. Two of the candidates will be unhappy. Fixing blame is not important; fixing the mistake in the best possible way is appropriate.
If any individual reading this letter knows how things got so messed up and didn’t try to do anything to fix the mistake I offer a quote from Sir Walter Scott: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Lou Salvio
New Britain
5 comments:
I don't see how the judge couldn't rule for a new election at least for the 2nd spot.
You can't disenfranchise voters like this.
Moron. registered voters have nothing to do with cutting up districts. Number of residents is the # - the fact that there are few voters in each is irrelevant. It's about how many people live there.
You lost last time, you lost this time, and if there is another time you will lose again. Lou is a looser.
I can already see the busloads of paid agitators coming to town full of out of state ACORNS with the mission of pulling every shenanigan and dirty trick possible to get the 2 commies re-elected.
"The solution offered by the president a week ago doesn't work in Connecticut," Malloy said in an appearance Friday morning at the Connecticut Convention Center, where he opened the Connecticut International Auto Show.
Next November we can all dream of being able to say that Malloy no longer works in Connecticut!
@ Anonymous #2
You should try to find out who was present when the lines separating polling places in each Ward were drawn. If those lines were drawn based on the latest census figures, who votes and who votes where would be more equal. Lines have been drawn for decades to protect certain candidates and you know it.
Also, please take a refresher course in spelling!
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