ALBANY, N.Y. — New York is prohibiting political parties from using the words “independence” or “independent” in their names in an effort to avoid voter confusion.
Proponents of the new law argue the ban is necessary to ensure New Yorkers don’t mistakenly register for a party when seeking to remain unaffiliated registered independent voters.
The Independence Party of New York State gained ballot access in 1994 and critics have long argued that thousands of state residents mistakenly signed up with the party when attempting to register as independent, or unaffiliated, voters.
“Our No. 1 priority when conducting elections should be to provide clear and accurate information to voters,” said bill sponsor Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat. “For an organized political party to call themselves ‘Independence’ when in reality they are frequently working hand in hand with major political parties, I just think that’s not right.”
The law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last week, comes a decade after the Daily News editorial board exposed the fact that a significant portion of voters were unaware they had registered with the Independence Party after intending to remain unaffiliated.
Once the statute goes into effect on Jan. 1, the Independence Party will have to choose a new, less misleading name if it attempts to regain a ballot line.
The party lost its ballot status in 2020 following a change to state election law that required parties receive at least 130,000 votes every two years to retain a spot. The Green Party and other third parties also failed to garner enough votes and lost ballot access as well.
Earlier this year, Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., attempted to revive the Independence line during his failed quest to unseat Hochul. The Republican nominee was denied the additional general election ballot line after election officials found his campaign had submitted over 12,000 invalid ballot petition signatures.
Due to New York’s fusion voting system, the party often cross-endorsed or backed major party candidates.
“A party known for preying on independently minded New York voters to inflate its rolls should have no place in our democratic system,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat. “I’m grateful for Assemblyman Dinowitz’s partnership on this important issue — voters have a right to remain unaffiliated and this new law ensures this shadow party can never take away that right.”
There are several other words that are already prohibited from being used by political parties in the state, including “American,” “United States,” “National,” “New York State,” and “Empire State.”
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