The Day’s extensive coverage of the May 3 City of Groton mayoral election admirably contributed to relatively high voter turnout, resulting in the election of a write-in candidate, though an incumbent. The election, a model of democracy, demonstrated that the public interest is served when citizens are engaged in the issues and in vigorous debate, as opposed to voting blindly according to party.

This unusual election raises an interesting question. What if party labels were no longer affixed to ballots? Wouldn’t this force the voters to learn more about the candidates, their backgrounds, positions, and party affiliation? Wouldn’t it also force parties to better articulate their platforms and explain why their nominees are equipped to carry them out?

Political parties had no legal status until the 20th century. That changed when legislatures passed laws recognizing major parties and regulating their membership and nomination processes. This affected ballot construction. The motive was to preserve the power of existing parties and to limit the influence of third parties, not to improve democracy.

A two-party system is healthy for democracy only if it is self-correcting and can stand alone without special laws to protect it.

Edward Kleinman

Stonington