On April 16, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asked the state legislature to repeal the Wilson-Pakula law, which gives county political party leaders the power to decide whether to let non-member candidates run in party primaries. If that law were repealed, any candidate could run in any party’s primary ballot, or in the primary of several parties, no matter what the county chair of the party thinks.

Governor Cuomo also asked the legislature to ease the rigid time limits on voters who switch parties. He recommends that any voter be allowed to switch parties, and vote in the primary of the new party, if the change is done no later than three months before a primary. Even that change would leave New York with one of the most restrictive laws on that subject. See this story. Thanks to Joseph McNiesh for this news.