| Libertarian Party of NY -- Press Release -- LP Launching "Free NY" Voter Registration Drive |
The state will now accept enrollments and keep records for any political organization that has run a candidate for governor in the last gubernatorial election. If the gubernatorial candidate received over 50,000 votes, the party is considered a Party by the Board of Elections and is listed by name on voter registration forms. The ruling establishes an "other" line on the voter forms and prevents the purging of data for the three parties which lost official Party status during the last gubernatorial election.
The ruling by US Eastern District Judge Gleeson in Green Party NYS vs. NYS Board of Elections, which becomes effective immediately, agreed with the amicus brief submitted by the Libertarian Party of New York (LPNY) that New York’s Board of Elections should allow voters to enroll as members of any party that has organized for recent gubernatorial elections. After Judge Gleeson's preliminary injunction, LPNY filed an intervention, which was required to obtain relief specifically for the LPNY.
With the September 18 ruling, Gleeson established that the Libertarian Party's electoral record met this criterion, "so it means voters can now enroll as Libertarians on revised registration forms that are compliant with Hon. Gleeson's decision," said Ulster activist Gary Treistman, who co-authored the Libertarian Party's brief with Long Island attorney Christopher Garvey.
The LPNY has posted a downloadable version of a registration form compliant with the September 18 decision on their website, at http://ny.lp.org/enroll/. It also plans to mount a major voter registration drive this fall to capitalize on the ruling and to realize the party's mission to "Free New York."
"The Libertarian Party of New York has been on the ballot in nearly every election for the past thirty years, yet our supporters have been prevented from enrolling as Libertarians," said LPNY State Chair John Clifton. "The old form provided an unfair, state-subsidized advantage to the 'official' parties by allowing voters to enroll as members of those parties only. This change in the form removes an artificial barrier that has held back our growth for decades. Now we can build a membership and fundraising base on a more level playing field. Our time has come."
Donald Silberger, an associate mathematics professor at SUNY New Paltz and veteran party activist, was especially gratified by the ruling. "Our duties as loyal participants in our movement are clear," said Professor Silberger. "Re-register ourselves as Libertarians and carry the new forms to as many people as possible who might do likewise." Silberger and Clifton expect a rapid increase in identified Libertarians over the next few months.
The Libertarian Party stands for individual liberty, free markets and personal responsibility in order to promote a society that enjoys justice, abundance and peace. To contact the LPNY, call 516-767-4688 or write to the Libertarian Party of New York, PO Box 728, Bellport, NY 11713. Their website is http://ny.lp.org/
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