Summary
When Governor Mario Cuomo was in office, he sought to break down the "cynical barriers" that prevent qualified candidates from being "judged on their own merit." Attorney General Eliot Spitzer put out a report in 2001 condemning those barriers too. But truly meaningful ballot access reform never saw the light of day.
At this year's state convention, Democrats can reduce the discriminatory impact and backward-looking nature of our ballot access laws - as they did in 1992. At that time, four Democratic Senate candidates - Robert Abrams, Geraldine Ferraro, Elizabeth Holtzman, and Rev. Al Sharpton - were vying for the right to unseat Senator Alphonse D'Amato. Even though two may not have hit the 25% threshold without help, party leaders conducted multiple ballots to let all four serious candidates run. In 1998, the party honored that same ideal, albeit under different circumstances, and secured a spot for all three candidates.See the full content of this document
Extract
New Yorkers Should Demand Fair Ballot Access
By CHARLIE KING
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often said that the presence of injustice requires those who are just to stand up and speak out for what is right. ...See the full content of this document
Sponsored links
