Independence Party of New York Nominates Gary Johnson for President

The New York Independence Party has nominated Gary Johnson for President. This is a surprise, because the leaders of the Independence Party have in the past been very friendly with Donald Trump. The Independence Party sent out a press release on September 9 announcing its choice.

This means that Johnson will be on the ballot twice in New York state. His line on the Independence Party will be sixth on the ballot. His name on the Libertarian line will be ninth on the ballot.

When the Federal Election Commission looks at the election returns to see if Gary Johnson got 5% of the vote, which would make his campaign eligible for general election funding in December 2016, the FEC will count his votes on the Independence line as well as on the Libertarian line.

Other parties in New York that have made presidential nominations so far are the Conservative Party, which has nominated Donald Trump; and the Working Families Party, which has nominated Hillary Clinton. The Reform Party is expected to nominate Donald Trump, but it has not yet sent in its paperwork. Also the final paperwork for the Women’s Equality Party is not in yet. Two preliminary filings for the Women’s Equality Party are in conflict. One nominates Lynn Kahn and the other nominates Hillary Clinton.


Comments

Independence Party of New York Nominates Gary Johnson for President — 24 Comments

  1. Does anyone know if there’s historical precedent for a cross-nomination of an LP presidential candidate like this?

  2. This is great news for the Johnson campaign and maybe the Libertarian Party as well. He’s going to get a lot of votes this way. I think on election night late voters on the West coast will be more likely to support him if they see he has strength back East. I especially think this will be the case if Clinton looks like she’s pulling away from Trump.

  3. Never before has any ballot-qualified party (except Libertarian state parties) nominated the Libertarian presidential nominee.

    For the Green Party, the Progressive Party of Vermont nominated the Green nominee in 2000.

    For the Constitution Party, the Alaskan Independence Party, and the Kansas Reform Party, helped its nominee in the past.

  4. This is intriguing. It means a lot of people in NY who consider themselves Independents, but not Libertarians, can cast a distinctive vote for Johnson and Weld. Remember, too, that Weld has been politically active in NY, as well as MA. His name recognition, and the second line, could get an historic high vote for the LP ticket in NY.

  5. Does this make it less likely that LP-NY will reach the 50,000 vote mark on the LP line? Or will it be the combined vote total that counts?

  6. The combined vote total will go toward both parties ballot qualifications, and I’m not surprised they didn’t go for Trump, they’ve backed a range of people in the past from McCain (2008), Nader (2004), to Hagelin (2000). Recently they backed Cuomo the current democratic governor.

  7. The New York definition of “political party” is a group that polls 50,000 for Governor. The presidential vote has nothing to do with New York’s definition of “party”. New York and Indiana are the only states in which it is impossible for a group to become a qualified party at any time during a presidential election year. It is not possible before the election, and it is not possible after the election (in presidential years). That is perhaps unconstitutional. If the Libertarian Party presidential line gets 50,000 votes, it is plausible that the New York Libertarian Party could sue over New York’s definition of “party”. In 1980 the LP got over 50,000 votes for President in New York and sue New York for party status. Unfortunately the attorney sued the Secretary of State instead of the State Board of Elections. Then he realized his mistake, and was embarrassed, and dropped the case.

  8. worth noting that parties can’t qualify for future ballot access based off of the result of the Presidential race in NY.

    So, how do they usually resolve situations like the Women’s Equality line? The Clinton elector slate for D/WFP/WEP is in and i’d guess that Kahn’s slate is gonna be disqualified once they go to some sort of credential check? I think the WEP had a dispute over who actually controlled the party earlier this year?

  9. Has the Anti-Prohibition Party nominated a presidential candidate? I would have expected them to cross-nominate Johnson, too.

  10. Richard, its also impossible for a party to qualify in New Jersey on presidential election years. New Jersey uses a 10% vote test of the entire election return on general assembly election results. These general assembly elections occur only on odd numbered years. As you have mentioned previously elsewhere on your site, it is technically possible to get recognized as a minor party via lawsuit, but minor party recognition in new jersey only affords the ability to have registered members and recognition as a political party for financial purposes.

  11. Thank you, Will. You’re right. I should have New York, New Jersey, and Indiana are the three states in which a party can’t become qualified at any time during a presidential election year.

  12. Richard – if New York were to allow the vote for President to qualify a party for ballot status, they would probably then require 50,000 votes every two years instead of every 4 years, so it might not be such a good idea.

    Historical trivia – 1936 was the last year in which New York voters elected a governor in a Presidential election year. That year the American Labor Party was formed to provide a second ballot line for President Roosevelt, running for re-election. The ALP also listed Gov. Herbert Lehman as their candidate, and he received enough votes to quality the party for ongoing ballot status, which it kept until 1954.

  13. Does this mean the Independence Party will have to nominate the Electors already nominated by the Libertarian Party? I know the odds of Gary Johnson winning NY is slim but wouldn’t two sets Electors be problematic?

  14. I just checked NYSBE website about the presidential candidates; it now says that the status of Lynn Kahn and Rocky De La Fuente is “invalid.” So it looks now as if there will only be four names for president on the NY ballot.

  15. Too bad the Marijuana Reform Party of New York State died. It did nominate someone for mayor against Bloomberg. I voted that line as a protest and because I support pot legalization.
    I’m voting Johnson/Weld on the Libertarian line, but he would have picked up some extra votes on the MRP line if it existed.

  16. Ok so it doesn’t matter which line you vote for Gary on then? Whether it’s Independence or Libertarian, they both will count. Good to know.

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