NY Political Party Ballot Qualification Might Change

New York “Credible” Political Parties will be able to meet a Higher Threshold for Ballot Access that could be set by a Commission determining the Future of how Campaigns Spend and Receive Money, Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs in a Radio Interview on Thursday said.

Jacobs is Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Appointee to the Commission determining the Guidelines for State Public Campaign Financing, and the Commission may also take a Broader Purview of its Role and Raise the Threshold Number of Votes needed in a Gubernatorial Race for Ballot Access and the Future of Fusion Voting.

The Current Threshold is 50,000 Votes, which has been in place for nearly 90 years.

“We have to make sure that people who run for offices on these party lines are running from party lines that are actual credible parties that have some demonstrated level of support,” he said on WCNY’s The Capitol Pressroom, adding that “parties that are active, real parties” will be able to meet New, Higher Threshold.

The Potential for Changing Ballot Qualifications, from 50,000 to 250,000, has led to Fresh Concerns the Commission is potentially Targeting the Working Families Party (WFP), a Progressive Ballot Line that has Feuded with Cuomo.

But Jacobs, a Cuomo Ally, said he did Not Consider the WFP a “Sham Party” like the Independence Party, the Serve America Movement (SAM), or Women’s Equality Party (WEP) Ballot Lines.

“They take their real estate, let’s call it what it is, their lease on real estate on the ballot and they monetize it through transactional negotiations with the major parties because it creates a billboard effect,” Jacobs said.

Public Policy Polling has taken a Poll in New York State on whether the State should make it more Difficult for Parties to be Ballot-Qualified. The Results are that 64% are Opposed; 25% are in Favor; and 10% are Undecided. The Proposal, pushed by some Leaders of the Democratic Party, would Increase the Number of Votes for a Group to be a Qualified Party, from 50,000 Votes for Governor, to 150,000.

Richard Winger of Ballot Access News Writes:

The editorial says the 50,000 vote test was set in 1935, and tripling it would only keep up with growth. Actually if it were to be increased in accord with the growth in the electorate, the new requirement would be 54,850, not 150,000. In 1936 the gubernatorial vote was 5,557,339 (not counting blank votes). In 2018 it was 6,097,368 (again, not counting blank votes). That is an increase of only 9.7%.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker