On September 28, the New York legislature finally sent S 7191 to the Governor. It had passed on June 10, 2021. This is the bill to make it more difficult for non-members to obtain a party nomination via write-ins in the primary. It is an idea that the Green Party in particular has long worked for, because the Green Party doesn’t like it when non-members of the party seize a party nomination without support from the Green Party.
I suspect the reason why the NY state government is finally doing this is because the Green Party and other third parties who field their own candidates can no longer do so thanks to the current harsh ballot access laws (unless the Greens and Libertarians manage to get said ballot access laws overturned in court).
NOOO extremist primaries.
—
one voter nom pets
PR
APPV
TOTSOP
It is probably targetting the Working Families Party and perhaps the Conservative Party.
New York always has a write-in space. They don’t always have a primary election.
If there are zero or one candidates, there is no primary.
But party members may petition for an Opportunity To Ballot (OTB), where “ballot” is used as a verb.
If there were two or more candidates on the ballot it is unlikely that a write-in candidate could win. Working Families might use OTB to let voters choose which Democrat should appear on the party line. But under the new law they may not nominate a non-enrolled member as a write-in. Their only option is to convince a Democrat to petition to be on the ballot.
If no Democrat cooperates, then if the office is governor, there is a good chance the party would lose ballot access.
In New
They’re on the right track. They shoot get rid of the joke, splinter, and spoiler parties, and so should the rest of the states. There was a time for third parties, like George Wallace, who I was proud to support and vote for. But that time has past, and we need to all unite behind TRUMP and the GOP!!!
See baaade olde days —
Octavian [later Augustus Caesar] vs Anthony/Cleopatra
>>> END of olde Roman Republic — 31 – 27 BC.
The Republic was corrupt and weak. Dictatorship and empire were the natural solutions.
ONLY folks in/very near to Rome ***elected*** anybody
= FATAL to republic — after it got very big — NO real representation for Roman citizens in outer parts.
Much later English House of Commons in 1200s – election of HC members in entire regime —
but again NOOO real representation — for Brits in outer areas – American colonies, etc.
>>> Am Rev WAR.
Rome was better off as an Empire. We will be as well.
What is interesting is that it creates a kind of one-way ratchet on minor party nominations. Currently, party leaders may give permission for a non-party member to run on that party’s line – this is called a “Wilson-Pakula” for the two legislators who created the procedure. If the minor party’s members do not like that decision, an enrolled member can file petitions to primary the non-party member who got the nod from the party leader, or members of the party may do an “Opportunity to Ballot” petition while they sort out who might be the most viable person in the primary that then occurs. The person (whether party or non-party) designated by the leaders would have their name pre-printed, but people whose names might be written-in would have to be a party member.
What this prevents is the practice of major party candidates (especially for local offices) getting as many minor party lines as possible to have their names repeatedly printed on the ballot, in part by filing Opportunity to Ballot petitions so their names would get written-in by the few registered party members in that jurisdiction. It is not unusual for the number of minor party members eligible to vote in such party primaries for local offices to number in the dozens.
Fascinating.