New York state has the worst general election ballot design of any state. This is because New York still uses mechanical voting machines, combined with a party column or party row format. Since the machines have only 9 rows (or 9 columns, depending on which type of machine is used), elections officials are sometimes forced to place two different political parties in the same column or row. The October 14 issue of The Journal News of White Plains, New York, features this story, about how the Open Government Party of Sloatsburg, New York (a village in Rockland County) is sharing the same row with the Socialist Workers Party candidate for president.
The problem is not bad ballot design. It is a problem with voting hardware based on the concept of party tickets. In this case not only are the OGPSNY candidates on the same line as the the SWP candidate, but are probably several blank lines below the incumbents (who are running as both Republicans and Democrats, and who knows what else)
If it were recognized that PERSONS were being elected to office, then it would be relatively easy for individuals get on the ballot (eg Nancy Pelosi would not want to have to collect 10,000+ signatures to get on the ballot, instead of the minimal number needed to run unopposed in a party primary). Candidates for each office could be listed in alphabetical order, with their party designation(s) next to their name.
Never mind the fact that NY is the only state not to confirm with the new Federal voting laws put in place after the Florida debacle in 2000.
Blame goes directly to Pataki, Spitzer, Sheldon Silver, Joe Bruno and the rest of the D & R clowns in ALbany. A plague on both your houses!