Letter to the Editor, by Bob wong, Referendum and Community Awareness

I recently helped gather signatures to put a referendum on the 2024 November ballot. My motivation to do the legwork was neither to show support nor opposition in changing the current West Windsor Nonpartisanship to Partisanship question. My intent was to gain some insight as to whether or not other residents in WW are/were like me … unsure about current politics but curious about whether our Township residents care where WW is going.

In regard to the referendum, the nomenclature around Partisanship vs. Nonpartisanship was a great way to measure interest by registered voters around politics or disengagement from politics. A few people said outright no thanks, not interested in politics and closed their doors. However, the vast majority of folks who signed the petition asked what the referendum intends to change and whether the referendum is asking voters to choose sides. It took a little bit more conversation to dispel the notion that by signing the petition they are choosing sides right then and there. Signatures on the petition meant that the question is successfully placed on the ballot for all voters to decide for themselves.

There had been conversations around wanting to choose candidates for elected WW Township positions on their own merits regardless of Party affiliation. Others pointed out that knowing more about the candidates allowed insights into Party affiliation and possible Party pressure and direction. For me at least, it is hard to know if an elected official will abide by campaign promises. Democracy works when there is more transparency and candidates stand up for their right to leadership by showing others from whom their support is coming from, regardless if the candidate is Independent, Republican or Democrat. Whichever way the voters decide, and by what methodology, or research we do or don’t do when deciding who to vote for, it is our choice and we should be given this choice.

Staying in touch with what’s going on in our Township is one of the reasons why we are registered voters. If we were truly apathetic we wouldn’t vote. Recent polls show that even though there are many registered voters, few come out to vote. Just by comparison, the broad statistics show communities such as Princeton had a 35% turnout in off year elections while WW had only 26%. WW residents do care about our school system, property values, community look and feel, safety, etc. WW residents rely on our Township leaders to improve our community and to do what’s best for the community at large. Since we all feel this way, it is important for us to stay in touch and see where our leaders are taking us.

I was impressed by the conversations I’ve had along the way. I feel that there are many who want to know more but find it hard to get more insight to what’s going on in our Township and community. Finding easily digestible info and facts is a major obstacle. This coincides with the  many remarks that more transparency is needed. Community awareness can improve dramatically when there is an effective community website that encourages feedback. Printed materials on major issues and decisions explaining the pros, cons, obstacles, and economic impact would go a long way to informing residents what’s current and where we are going. From the little legwork I’ve done I have heard that our community does care and want to hear more. With increased Party transparency and more timely information on current issues and intended Township direction, we could see improvements in off year election turnouts and increased community engagement and feedback.

Bob Wong

Resident of WW for 35 years