In New York State, the Conservative Party is currently an automatic ballot status party, a third party on par with the major parties. The Right-to-Life Party in the state is an independent political body without automatic ballot status. There are various strands in the Conservative Party in New York, and some people have used that party as a way to express the right-to-life philosophy. [Contributor’s comments by KW]
from Ballot Access News
Right to Life Party Name Will Appear on Ballot in Part of New York State
August 23rd, 2010
Although New York state’s Right to Life Party lost its status as a qualified party in 2002, it has continued to appear on the ballot in part of the state, and will do so again this year. It has petitioned to place candidates on the ballot for Justice of the Supreme Court in the 9th district, which includes Westchester County and some other counties in the Hudson Valley.
The Right to Life Party ran candidates for this office as well in 2009, 2007, 2005, and 2004.
The party lost its status as a qualified party when it only polled 44,195 votes for Governor in 2002. New York state law requires that a party poll 50,000 votes for Governor in order to obtain or keep qualified status.
Some observers feel there is a chance that the Conservative Party might lose its status as a qualified party this year. The Conservative Party has a primary for Governor on September 14, between Rick Lazio and the Conservative Party’s own vice-chair, Ralph Lorigo. The Republican gubernatorial primary this year is between Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino. Paladino is a foe of the Conservative Party and if he becomes the Republican nominee, he will also be the nominee of a new party, the Taxpayers Party.
The Right To Life Party did appear on the ballots today (Tues. 11/02/2010), and at least in Westchester County New York, they appeared on the exact same row as the Green Party- There was an entirely blank row with zero (0) candidates affiliated with a total of zero parties on the row right beneath the row which included both the candidates for Green Party and those from the Right To Life Party- I strongly suspect that this is a misprint
-There was no column on the left side of the ballotts for the Right To Life Party, they were listed to the right of the Green Party candidates on the same row and the words “Right To Life” appeared only in very small print in the boxes with the candidates’ names, it was very easy to miss that these were the RTL candidates and not the Green Party candidates this year-
-If you think about it, I’m having a difficult time thinking of two groups who could possibly have less in common with eachother- Let’s wait and see how many people notice this, if this really is a misprint and if anybody challenges the ballotts or the results-
-This is the first election in which this county has finally modernized and started using the computer scan ballotts, in 2010 we’ve now finally joined the rest of the country and we’ve stopped using the pull- lever machines and the county Board of Elections has already made their first mistake-
p.s. for those who are wondering, I’m a member of the Green Party, I personally agree with absolutely nothing whatsoever that the Right To Life Party advocates for, but I DO respect their right to run candidates, that’s what makes a democracy a democracy, recognizing the rigths for people to disagree with you…
The “conservative” vote is split three ways in this election, with a Tea Party, a Taxpayers Party, and the Conservative Party all fielding statewide slates of candidates. In addition, “on the right” there are two libertarian slates, the Libertarian and the Anti-Prohibition Parties. It’s complicated this year. And the Freedom (Democratic) Party and the Greens round out “the left”.
Green Party near 20 per cent in Stockholm..
http://www.stockholmnews.com/more.aspx?NID=5845
I dont understand why the Right to Life Party people in the 9th District don’t re-launch a statewide effort? I suspect they’d easily get on the ballot, perhaps with the help from the CP people.
If Paladino’s party gets 50k, look for the CP and RTL people to move into that vehicle.