Windsor Parties Jockey for Election Ballot Position

Not a single vote has been cast in Windsor's 2013 municipal election, and yet the introduction of a third party — the Windsor Independent Party — has already proven to stir up the political pot.

This week, Windsor Republicans lost their ballot position under the Independent line for the upcoming municipal election, even though Republican candidates received an endorsement from the Independent Party of Connecticut. 

According to the Secretary of State's office, "a minor party petitioning candidates onto the ballot is not permitted to cross endorse a major party candidate for the same office."

Being a municipal election year, the decision of how to handle a ballot with Republicans appearing on both the Republican and Independent lines fell to the local level, according to Av Harris of the secretary of state's office. 

As a result, Row C, the Independent line, was removed from Windsor's ballot. 

If the ballot stayed as it was, it would have included a line of Independents (Republican candidate names on the ballot for the second time) and Windsor Independents right next to one another, potentially confusing voters, according to Windsor Independents. 

The placement of Republican candidate names on the Independent line did not only have the potential to confuse voters, but it was done with the intent to do so, said incumbent Town Councilwoman Lisa Boccia (I).

When voters saw a group of candidates under the "Independent" line and then another group labeled "Windsor Independent", they would not know which candidates are truly Independent candidates, said Boccia.

Republican Town Committee Chair Ron Eleveld disputes any claim that placement of his party's candidates on the Indpendent line was done in an attempt to confuse voters.

Instead, Eleveld said by phone, the party petitioned to get its candidates to appear twice on the ballot, including the Independent line, to cater to voters who, for cultural or philosophical reasons, will never vote for a candidate of the Republican Party.

"We were trying to provide those voters with an opportunity to vote for [Republican] candidates," Eleveld said.

The appearance of Republican candidate names was made possible by a number of factors: 1) The Windsor Indpendent Party is not officially a party until they received a certain percentage of votes in an election; 2) Republicans successfully petitioned to have their names appear on the Independent line; and 3) Windsor Republicans received a cross-endorsement from the Independent Party of Connecticut.

The third factor complicates matters much further, because, Boccia said, Windsor's Independent Party is working with the Independent Party of Connecticut.

How is it possible both Windsor Republicans and Independents are supported by the Indpendent Party of Connecticut? Well, both Eleveld and Boccia confirmed this week that state Independents are effectively split into two competing factions, each run by a different individual and each claiming to be the true Independent Party of Connecticut.

In a 2012 CTPost article, the Independent Party controversy is described as having begun in 2006 when an effort to combine the two factions failed.

The article also describes the party's effect on recent elections, including Linda McMahon's 2012 bid for Senate.

Just like local Republicans, McMahon petitioned to have here name included on bothe the Republican and Independent lines.

Just like local Republicans, McMahon's inclusion on the Independent line was thrown into controversy when it needed an endorsement from state Indpendents, which it received from one Independent leader in Danbury (the same Independent group that cross-endorsed Windsor's Republican Party), but did not receive from the competing group from Waterbury.

Upon hearing the news that Republicans will only appear once on the ballot, Windsor Independents were "ecstatic," according to Boccia.

"We knew we wouldn't be able to go to court, and people are confused enough about how to vote in the booth," Boccia said. 

The removal of Republican's names from the Independent line has produced a ballot on which Republicans will appear in Row A, Democrats will appear in Row B and Windsor Independents will appear in Row D. The traditional Independent line, Row C on this ballot, will not include any candidates running for Windsor office.

The 2013 election will be held on Tues., Nov. 5. All local seats will be voted on, including town council, board of education and constable.

Each party can run five candidates for town council and five candidates for the boaord of education.

Windsor Independents are currently running four candidates for town council land one candidate for board of education. Among Independents running are incumbent town councilwoman Lisa Boccia and incumbent board of education member Kristin Ingram.

The party, Boccia said, is still reviewing candidates and considering filling out its candidate slate.