[Lnc-business] Bad ballot access bill proposed in New York

[Scott L.]

"Ballot
<http://www.ballot-access.org/2015/01/new-york-bill-to-make-definition-of-po
litical-party-more-restrictive/>  Access News:  (via IPR)

New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mt. Vernon) has introduced AB 838. It
would alter the definition of "political party" from a group that got 50,000
votes for Governor, to a group that got 100,000 votes for Governor. If
passed, it would take effect for elections starting in 2016. Thus, it would
remove the Independence, Women's Equality, and Stop Common Core Parties from
the ballot."

 

And the Chair of the LPNY commented on IPR:

 

 

"Mark Axinn
<http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/01/new-york-bill-to-make-def
inition-of-political-party-more-restrictive/#comment-1069415> January 13,
2015 at 7:34 am 

Obviously, if this bill were ever enacted, it would be a disaster for the
Libertarian Party of New York. I urge every New Yorker to contact his/her
local Assemblymember and urge him/her to oppose this Draconian restriction."


 

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

 

Dear fellow LNC members:

I disagree with the Chair of the LPNY.  Since the LPNY has failed the
current vote test 10 in a row since 1972,  this bill would be
psychologically annoying, but it would not in any way be a "disaster".  The
LPNY has never had semi-permanent ballot access, so they would not be losing
anything.

If I lived in New York, I would be heavily lobbying to add to that bill the
requirement  that the Elections Department change the ballot layout so that
each party on the ballot gets its own column (Row?), and that all statewide
offices count for the vote test.  And maybe change the vote test from 50,000
votes to 2% or 3% of the vote for Governor.  (1% would be nice, but would
probably  fall on deaf ears).

 

I suspect there are not enough minor party activists who care enough to
complain, so directly opposing the bill will, IMO, not work.

  Scott Lieberman

 

bcc:  Mark Axinn, Richard Winger  (bcc to protect their e-mail addresses
from spammers)

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