What about the Libertarian Party?

New York is one of the only states that allow candidates to seek cross-party support. This allows voters to cast their support for a candidate on a Third Party line without feeling they “endorse” someone who is actually a Republican or a Democrat. It’s silly, but it is a tradition in New York.

Because of this system, New York makes it very hard to get ballot-line status. Where, in California, a gubernatorial candidate simply needs 60 signatures on a petition to be on a statewide ballot, New York requires a party to amass a 12,000 signature list for any candidate not endorsed at one of the five established party’s state convention (there is a minimum requirement within each of the 62 counties as well). Then, after accomplishing the feet of collecting valid signatures, the party needs to receive a minimum 50,000 votes in the gubernatorial election to remain on the ballot for the next four years.

This tells Third Parties that in order to be serious, you need to get the people throughout the state to be behind your cause. Right now, the three parties who have accomplished this feet (other than Republican and Democrat) and automatically on the ballot this November are Conservative, Working Families and Independence. Other parties have been there in the past but are currently off the fixed ballot. To get back on, they have to go through the whole process again.

Libertarians are a unique bird when it comes to parties. Both liberals and conservatives can bond with the party on certain issues, but a true libertarian could never fully support a Democrat or a Republican. Politics is simply not linear. It’s not just left or right, it’s a three dimensional grid with authoritarian liberals, authoritarian conservatives and libertarian liberals and libertarian conservatives.

The Libertarian Party is not on the New York State ballot simply because after succussfully petitioning and collecting 12,000 signatures, they need to receive 50,000 votes to remain on the ballot. This has been difficult, simply because an underfunded unknown who wishes to draw “protest votes” doesn’t always work when there are other established third parties that can do such a thing. The Conservative Party was successful at it in 1962 simply because there was no real party on the right of the political spectrum.

There is some talk in New York Libertarian circles to back William Weld for Governor this year. In my opinion, this would be a wise thing to do. It is the governor’s race and backing a likely candidate for governor could draw votes to your line and potentiall get the party its needed 50,000 votes. It wouldn’t matter if statewide candidates for Senate, Attorney General and Comptroller are not cross-party candidates with the Libertarian Party, it’s the governor’s race that matters.

There are 11,619,137 registered voters in New York state as of November 2005. Only 664 are Libertarian. The NY voter registration card gives new applicants the following options.

Enrollment:
Republican
Democrat
Independence
Conservative
Working Families.
Other__________
No Party at this time

Partisans will select one of the parties listed. Applicants who don’t want to be affiliated with any party will either mistakenly register Independence (thinking it’s “Independent”) or check off No Party at this time. Very few people at the age of 18 will write in “Libertarian” in the Other box. The No Party... people are known as “blanks” with the Board of Elections and there are currently 2,334,392. Many of them could be libertarian and would gladly switch registration if the party was on the NY ballot.

William Weld seems like the likely Republican candidate for governor who will probably get cross-party support with the Independence Party, but not the Conservative Party. Being a candidate for government reform and limited government should interest the NYLP and getting 50,000 votes is key to expand influence in New York.

What could happen in the Libertarian Party becomes an official New York Party on say.. Row F?

The Libertarian State Executive Committee will have two years to get county committees organized and start voter drives before the next big elections in 2008. The registered 664 voters will expand to a few thousand. Having the party on a registration card will certainly get new voters to sign up as Libertarian without having to worry about them becoming “blanks.” They would be able to run their own candidates in the 2008 national elections and state legislature, then the 2009 local elections. They can build on their strength so by the 2010 elections, they could either cross-endorse Weld again (if he wins the election of course and if he lives up to party expectations) or choose their own candidate with a stronger base of support.

A strong Libertarian Party, especially in New York City, could do wonders to the system. It will be interesting to see if democrat or republican candidates seek the line if they are on the ballot, especially for local races in the state legislature and the NYC Council.

It all comes down to the State Party endorsing William Weld. There is no other candidate the party would even consider cross-endorsing in 2006. It’s an opportunity for the party and I feel they should take it. It could hurt some of the other third parties, but we live in a democracy. I believe in the right assemble and petition, even if I completely disagree with a parties platform.

New York Libertarian Party
Manhattan Libertarian Party
Board of Elections Voter List
Board of Elections Registration Card pdf
William Weld for New York