The Party You Might Not Have Heard Of

Up until last week, I didn't know too much about the Working Families Party. As someone from the state of New Jersey, I should not feel too much at fault for not knowing about the Party. It is a party, however, in nearby New York City as well as the state as a whole. The thing that separates the Working Families Party from another third party is they incorporate fusion voting and often endorse a mainstream candidate. They decide to focus primarily on the issues unlike the Democratic and Republican Parties at certain times. Voters often get turned off by those two parties and want to vote Independent, but fusion voting and the Working Families Party give voters that third option and they don't feel like they are wasting their vote.

Things you might want to know:

The Working Families Party (WFP) is New York’s liveliest and most progressive political party. Formed by a grassroots coalition of community organizations, neighborhood activists, and labor unions, they came together to build a society that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. They fight to hold politicians accountable on the issues working- and middle-class families care about, like good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and universal healthcare.

Why vote Working Families?
Voting Working Families means voting your values. It means taking a stand and sending a message about the world you want to see. One with an economy that works for everyone, where politicians put working people before CEOs, and where basic rights like access to healthcare or time off to take care of a sick family member are upheld. Unlike other political parties, their work doesn’t end on election day. They're always fighting - in Albany and in towns and cities across New York - for a working families-friendly agenda, and Working Families votes help push politicians to support progressive legislation.

What’s “fusion” voting?:
The Working Families Party is a third party with a twist, fusion voting. Fusion voting allows one party (like the WFP) to “cross endorse” the same candidate as another party. The votes from each party are tallied separately, but then combined for that candidate’s total. It gives voters a way to “vote their values” by voting for the party of their choice without spoiling an election. And it lets third parties like the WFP demonstrate support for the issues they’re fighting for. When votes on the WFP’s ballot line help a candidate they’ve endorsed win, they can hold that politician accountable to working people. Big business has plenty of money and power. Fusion helps them even the score. Once common everywhere, fusion is now only legal in New York and a handful of other states.

Does the Working Families Party ever run its own candidates?:
Most of the time, the Working Families Party cross endorses Democrats or (occasionally) Republicans who promise to fight for issues that matter to working people. But they do run their own candidates, if they think they can win. Letitia James was elected to the New York City Council, Luci McKnight was elected to County Legislature in Albany, and Wayne Hall was elected mayor of Hempstead, Long Island, all solely on the WFP line. If they think that there’s little difference between the two major party candidates, running their own candidate can send a powerful message to both the Democrats and the Republicans that working people can’t be taken for granted.

Are there WFPs in other states?:
Given the unexpected success of the New York WFP, there’s a lot of interest in forming WFP’s in other states. In 2002, their sister party in Connecticut was founded, and WFPs are being built right now in Oregon, South Carolina, and Delaware too. Expanding the WFP to other states requires one of two things: either good fusion laws already on the books or a plan to establish fusion voting in the next few years.

How many votes does the WFP get?:
Their vote total goes up each year. In their first election in 1998, they received just over 50,000 votes on our line in the gubernatorial election, or 1% of the vote. Since then, they’ve more than tripled their share of the vote, drawing 160,000 votes statewide and becoming the top vote-getting third party in New York City.

Can a third party really ever make a difference?:
Lots of voters aren’t satisfied with the narrow choices offered by the major parties. But in most states, voters have two lousy options to choose from: the “lesser of two evils,” or the “wasted vote” on a third party. New York is different. Because of fusion, their ballot line means something very real for politicians here. The Working Families ballot line is both the “carrot” and the “stick” that the WFP uses to hold politicians accountable. When politicians support and fight for our issues, they get the reward of an extra ballot line and the additional votes the WFP brings. When they side with corporations and big money donors, they face the “stick” option — they can run our own candidate on our line, or support the opposing party’s pick. Over our first 10 years, building real power has meant lots of victories for progressive ideas.

Well, I hope I have opened a few people's eyes to something that have slowly emerged in state like New York to something powerful. Often times, the two major parties don't appeal to middle of the road and that is when fusion voting comes in. Elections are about the issues to those who matter the most and that is where attention needs to be addressed. This gives people that third option that can win an election.