The Independent View: NY Bills in 2015 Affecting Voters

Thanks to Richard Winger from Ballot Access News for the following two bill's information.

As the New York Legislature begins 2015, these bills are starting their journey.

Bill to Let Voters Switch Parties Up to 25 Days Before a Primary

New York has long had the nation’s most restrictive law concerning when voters may switch from one particular party to another. Current law does not allow anyone to switch, and vote in the primary of the new party, unless the voter makes the change in the year before the primary. State Senator Daniel Squadron (D-New York City) has introduced SB 570. It would allow voters to change parties, and vote in the primary of the new party, as long as the change was made no later than 25 days before the primary.

Bill to Make Definition of “Political Party” More Restrictive

New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mt. Vernon) has introduced AB 838. It would alter the definition of “political party” from a group that got 50,000 votes for Governor, to a group that got 100,000 votes for Governor. If passed, it would take effect for the next Governor elections in 2018. If this was the law in 2014, it would have remove the Independence Party as a qualified party, and the Women’s Equality and Stop Common Core Parties, would not have qualified as a new party.

At yesterday's New York Board of Elections meeting, there was discussion about the fact that one of the new parties filed the paperwork to change their name. This will hold-up the the printing of voter registration forms, as the new name will have to go through the evaluation process of validating the new name meets all legal requirements as defined in state election law.

Additional conversation developed about the fact that under current law, a party can change their name as often as they want. And there is no law against changing a parties mission statement. One commissioner asked if they did change the direction of the party, would the party have to return any remaining donations in the party's account that was given by donors who believed the original party's values that may have changed with the name change. The current answer was no.

Also expected to change is the language for voters to select a party or declare their independence on the registration form.

In redrawing the registration form, the board can eliminate confusion by giving voters two clearly marked choices under bold headings. The language would be along these lines:

A) I wish to enroll in a political party, with a list of the Full Party Names below including a write-in space, or

B) I do not wish to enroll in a political party. In New York, currently these are defined as 'BLANK'.

UPDATE

The “Stop Common Core” party is changing its name to the Reform Party and will broaden its focus to include an array of issues, supporters said. Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive, launched the “Stop Common Core” line as part of his campaign last year.

Jessica Proud, Astorino’s former campaign spokeswoman, confirmed the change today. Michael Lawler, Astorino’s campaign manager, is going to head the party.

“As a ballot line, it makes sense to have something a little broader,” she explained. “It’s going to mirror a lot of the agenda he talked about during the campaign – the issues that he fought for, and Common Core would be part of that.”