I find myself wondering about our elections. In particular, I wonder if New York voters have become a pesky afterthought in the whole process. 

Witness the ever-shrinking Republican field. Of a potential eight candidates last spring (Trump, Haley, DeSantis, Christie, Hutchison, Scott, Ramaswamy and Pence by my reckoning) only four remain. Not a single vote has been cast nor caucus held but opinion polls and fundraising thresholds have defined the field for us. 

Is this the way it is supposed to be?  By the time primaries come to New York, on April 2 the nominee is likely to have been decided by voters in the Super Tuesday states who will have voted a month before.  New Yorkers will be effectively disenfranchised.

It’s time to take our elections back from the monied interests and the pollsters. 

Let’s move to an early national primary to choose our candidates. This can be done in several rounds so that the voters’ will can be truly reflected. The final candidate must garner more than 50 percent of the vote to become the party’s standard bearer. 

Mexico chooses its party’s candidates almost eight months before the general election. Perhaps we can learn a thing from our southern neighbor? 

Charles A. Rubin
Lake Huntington, NY