Today is Primary Day in New York
Green Party voters in New York State today will be selecting candidates for Mayor of Albany and New York City Council. Polls open at 6:00 AM in New York City and Noon throughout the rest of state. They remain open until 9:00 PM.
Jabari Brisport and Scott Hutchins are seeking the Green Party nomination for New York City Council, District 35. Bryan Jimenez and Dan Plaat are running for Mayor of Albany.
New York State allows fusion voting, whereby a candidate can appear on multiple ballot lines. When the polls close, all votes cast for such a candidate are totaled together, regardless of ballot line.
Because of the "Opportunity to Ballot" provision in state election law, Greens in the Capital District have been forced to field a number of legitimate Greens as write-in candidates in an effort to prevent the major parties from stealing the Green Party ballot line.
Greens running to protect the ballot line include the following:
Rensselaer County
County Executive
Wayne J. Foy
County Legislature District 1
Deyva Arthur
County Legislature District 1
Write-In: Jonathan E. Flanders
City of Troy
City Council District 3
Write-In: Neil Abdul-Wahab
Schenectady County
County Legislature District 3
Write-In: Matthew V. Willemain
Richard H. Moran Jr.
Peter Looker
Specific examples of attempts to steal the Green Party line:
Example One
Sample Ballot asking Greens to write-in 3 candidates, without informing voters that all three are Democrats
Example Two
Letter asking Greens in Schenectady County to vote for candidates without informing voters that all six are Democrats
Example Three
Second letter asking Greens in Schenectady County to vote for candidates without informing voters that all six are Democrats
Example Four
Letter from a Conservative Party Legislator claiming to be a Green Party member.