History Professor James Coll has this op-ed in the Albany Times-Union, criticizing his own state’s ballot access laws.
His op-ed does not mention that earlier this year, the New York legislature moved the independent candidate petition deadline from August to May.
The United Coalition USA is bringing the Unity Platform USA item “Ballot Anti-censorship Act” in 2020.
Does this mean that an independent in New York will have to file to run in the General Election months before the New York Democratic and Republican Primary Elections are held? Why should an independent have to file before his or her establishment party opponents are even chosen?
Yes, the New York law requires independent candidate petitions to be filed before the non-presidential primary. The US Supreme Court struck down such deadlines in Anderson v Celebrezze. Yet no mainstream press covered what the New York legislature did earlier this year. I sent a copy of my newsletter to every New York legislator and none of them acknowledged the information.