Qualified New York Parties
Encyclopedia
In New York State, to qualify for automatic ballot access
, a party must have received at least 50,000 votes in the previous gubernatorial election. They need not run their own candidate, they can nominate a different party's nominee, and if 50,000 voters vote for that candidate on their party line, they have qualified. For statewide and special elections, this means that no petitions have to be filed to gain access to a ballot line, and party organizations can endorse candidates through their own conventions (this does not apply to legislative candidates, who still must petition onto the ballot regardless of party endorsement, but are only required to collect a third of the signatures required of non-qualified parties). Qualified parties also are the only parties eligible to hold primary election
s. In addition to determining whether they automatically qualify for the next 4 years, this also determines the order on the ballot.
In the 1994 election, the Democratic Party
received the most votes, and so qualified to be first on the ballot for the next 4 years, even though their candidate, incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo
lost. George Pataki
beat him because he received more votes combined over all of his party lines.
In the 2002 election
, 3 qualified parties failed to re-qualify. One of these, the Liberal Party
, dates back to 1944, and became dormant as a result of this.
In the 2006 election
, 5 parties received at least 50,000 votes, and qualified. They only nominated 2 candidates between them, and were the same five parties that gained qualified status from the previous election; other than the Republicans and Democrats switching places due to Eliot Spitzer
's win, the other three parties were in the same order.
Parties that do not qualify automatically can petition their way onto the ballot. For statewide candidates, this requires 15,000 signatures. For example, the Libertarian Party
, despite having never registering 50,000 votes in a gubernatorial election, has nonetheless been on the state ballot with a gubernatorial candidate in every election since 1974 because of this process. Unless the gubernatorial candidate receives 50,000 votes, said parties must petition their way onto the ballot for every election they seek, a regulation that qualified parties do not need to follow. These parties also are not eligible to run primaries, and the first person to submit 15,000 signatures automatically gets the party line. (Sam Sloan attempted to use this tactic to take the 2010 Libertarian gubernatorial nomination from party nominee Warren Redlich
, but did not have enough signatures to successfully do so.)
Ballot access
Ballot access rules, called nomination rules outside the United States, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is either entitled to stand for election or to appear on voters' ballots...
, a party must have received at least 50,000 votes in the previous gubernatorial election. They need not run their own candidate, they can nominate a different party's nominee, and if 50,000 voters vote for that candidate on their party line, they have qualified. For statewide and special elections, this means that no petitions have to be filed to gain access to a ballot line, and party organizations can endorse candidates through their own conventions (this does not apply to legislative candidates, who still must petition onto the ballot regardless of party endorsement, but are only required to collect a third of the signatures required of non-qualified parties). Qualified parties also are the only parties eligible to hold primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s. In addition to determining whether they automatically qualify for the next 4 years, this also determines the order on the ballot.
In the 1994 election, the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
received the most votes, and so qualified to be first on the ballot for the next 4 years, even though their candidate, incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
lost. George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
beat him because he received more votes combined over all of his party lines.
In the 2002 election
New York gubernatorial election, 2002
The New York gubernatorial election of 2002 was an election for the state governorship held on November 5, 2002. Governor George Pataki, the two-term Republican incumbent, was re-elected with 49% of the vote, defeating both the Democratic nominee, State Comptroller Carl McCall and Independence...
, 3 qualified parties failed to re-qualify. One of these, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
, dates back to 1944, and became dormant as a result of this.
In the 2006 election
New York gubernatorial election, 2006
The New York gubernatorial election of 2006 was a race for the governorship of this U.S. state. Eliot Spitzer was elected on November 7, 2006, succeeding Governor George Pataki, the three-term incumbent, who did not run for a fourth term....
, 5 parties received at least 50,000 votes, and qualified. They only nominated 2 candidates between them, and were the same five parties that gained qualified status from the previous election; other than the Republicans and Democrats switching places due to Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
's win, the other three parties were in the same order.
Parties that do not qualify automatically can petition their way onto the ballot. For statewide candidates, this requires 15,000 signatures. For example, the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party of New York
The Libertarian Party of New York is a political party in the United States active in the state of New York. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party....
, despite having never registering 50,000 votes in a gubernatorial election, has nonetheless been on the state ballot with a gubernatorial candidate in every election since 1974 because of this process. Unless the gubernatorial candidate receives 50,000 votes, said parties must petition their way onto the ballot for every election they seek, a regulation that qualified parties do not need to follow. These parties also are not eligible to run primaries, and the first person to submit 15,000 signatures automatically gets the party line. (Sam Sloan attempted to use this tactic to take the 2010 Libertarian gubernatorial nomination from party nominee Warren Redlich
Warren Redlich
Warren Redlich is a lawyer and politician from Guilderland, New York. In 2004 and 2006, Redlich ran for US Congress for the 21st District of New York State as a Republican. In 2005, he briefly served as the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of New York. He is currently a town councilman...
, but did not have enough signatures to successfully do so.)