Last year, the New York definition of party was changed. The old definition was a group that had polled 50,000 votes for Governor. The new definition is a group that polled 2% for the office at the top of the ticket (president in presidential years; governor in midterm years).

If this law had been in effect in 1900, the Socialist Party would not have gained qualified status in 1900. Eugene Debs did not poll much as 1% in New York that year, much less 2%. In reality, the party did win qualified status that year; it polled the necessary 10,000 votes for Governor (back then, New York elected a Governor every two years). Also, in 1936, Norman Thomas did not poll as much as 2% for president in New York, and the party would have lost its qualified status that year. In reality it did retain its status in 1936.

The Law Preservation Party would have lost its qualified status in 1932 because it did not run a presidential candidate. Although the Law Preservation Party has largely been forgotten, it had substantial support in 1930 and 1932. It was the vehicle for voters who wanted to keep prohibiton of beverage alcohol.

The Communist Party was qualified in New York 1932 through 1936, but under the new law, it would never have been a qualified party. It never polled as much as 2% for either president or governor. It was a surprisingly strong party in New York, however. It elected members to the New York city council in partisan elections in 1941, 1943, and 1945.

The Right to Life Party, which had qualified status 1978 through 2002, never polled as much as 2% for president, and would have lost its status in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000. Nor did it receive 2% for Governor in 1982, 1994, and 1998.

The Conservative Party, which gained qualified status in 1962, would have gone off the ballot in 1964 because it didn’t have a presidential nominee that year.