Libertarian and Green Parties of New York File Motion for Preliminary Injunction in Federal Lawsuit Against NYS Board of Elections
Albany, New York, December 29, 2020 - The Libertarian Party of New York and the Green Party of New York have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in their federal lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections, seeking immediate suspension of the provisions implemented in Part ZZZ of the state budget intended to eliminate minor parties in New York State.
Part ZZZ is the rider to the New York State budget, passed in April under cover of the pandemic, that increased vote and petitioning thresholds required for minor parties in New York State to obtain and maintain automatic ballot access. The parties asked the court to “grant a motion for a preliminary injunction directing Defendants not to apply the new voter and petitioning thresholds from Part ZZZ and continue to apply the previous party definition.”
"This preliminary injunction is about protecting the Constitutional rights of the Green and Libertarian Parties, but more than that we intend to protect the rights of all New Yorkers to democratic choice in our elections. The move by Governor Cuomo and the Legislature in the budget was clearly done to eliminate those choices and to do so as rapidly as possible. We reject their cynical power play," said Green Party of New York co-chair Gloria Mattera.
“We maintain that the unconstitutional actions of the governor and legislature have caused irreparable harm to the Libertarian and Green Parties, as well as to other minor parties in New York State,” Cody Anderson, chair of the Libertarian Party of New York, explained. “Rather than allowing the governor to use the state Board of Elections as a tool to punish his political enemies and consolidate his power, we have asked the courts to recognize the violation of our 1st and 14th Amendment rights, to enjoin the Board of Elections to cease implementation of Part ZZZ, and to allow us to continue offering voters principled alternatives to the two tired old parties."
Contact:
Anthony D’Orazio
1st Vice Chair
Libertarian Party of New York
866-336-3120
Gloria Mattera
Co-Chair
Green Party of New York
917-886-4538
