With New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Campaign Finance Commission now mulling the End of Fusion Voting, the Ability of a Candidate to Run on Multiple Party Ballot Lines at the same time, it’s worth considering whether Fusion is Something the Left should rally to Protect. Cuomo’s Interest in Ending Fusion appears to be a Broadside aimed Directly at Kneecapping the Working Families Party (WFP), the Left-leaning Minor Party, with a Ballot Line, which he has Warred with over the last Decade.

The WFP typically puts Democrats on its Ballot Line and has Fought with Cuomo in the Past over what Progressive Policies or Political Processes he would Embrace to Win their Endorsement.

When the Idea of Ending Fusion Voting was floated earlier this year, many Prominent New York Democrats rushed to the Defense of Fusion, including U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and the most Famous First-Term Representative in America, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (14th District).

But are they right to think Fusion Voting advances the Agenda of Liberals and Democrats, or does it actually Hinder it by Empowering Minor Parties on the Right, such as the Conservative Party?

Is it necessary to have a Left-Wing Third Party when the WFP and Allied Groups can Win Democratic Primaries?

“Does the Working Families Party need a ballot line to be powerful and elect progressive folks?” asked Chris Coffey, a New York City-based Democratic Strategist and Lobbyist. “That’s the bigger question.”

Only Eight States, including New York, allow Fusion Voting. It’s unclear, though, how likely the possibility of Ending Fusion here really is.

On the Democratic side, Critics of the Practice are Muted. The One Exception is in Nassau County. Jay Jacobs, the Chairman of Both the Nassau Democrats and the State Democratic Party, has spoken Publicly about his desire to End Fusion Voting. He is now a Member of the Commission.

The Vice-Chairman of the Nassau Democrats, Tom Garry, said he would Welcome the Death of Fusion to Kill Two Third Parties that have bolstered Republicans in the Suburbs: the Conservative and Independence Parties.

“Fusion has not helped. It’s dramatically harmed us,” Garry said. “Far too many times, we’ve been on the losing end of a recount where the Independence and Conservative parties absolutely were the basis for the loss.”

There are several ways to examine the Impact of Fusion Voting on New York Politics. First, there are the Raw Numbers.

This is where Suburban Democrats have a Point. Voters are far more likely to flock to the Conservative Party, a Third Party founded in 1962 to push Republicans Rightward.

The Independence Party, a Party made up of many who Accidentally Registered into it thinking they were becoming Independent Voters, recently gathered Fewer Votes on its Line, but it can make a Difference in very close Races. The Independence Party usually Rents its Line to Republicans or Non-Democrats.

But for the twelve years I was an Elected Official of the Party with a Constituency of 3,500 Active Voters, and worked on all of his Elections, we helped Michael Bloomberg win Three Mayoral Elections with our Ballot Line. Today, I am registered as an Independent Voter.

In a Post-Fusion World, where do those Votes go?

In our Age of Extreme Political Polarization, many would likely be Absorbed into the Two Mainstream Parties. If All the Conservative and Independence Votes for the Republican Candidate simply went to that Same Candidate on the GOP Line, the Results would be the Same. But we don’t know if that would be true, or if perhaps they’d go to Third Parties that Nominate Far-Right Candidates. Maybe some would leave Down-Ballot Races Blank, or even Vote for the Democrats. It’s impossible to know if Voters on the Independence Line think that the Party’s Stamp of Approval means the Republican is, in some sense, Independent.

The WFP argues that its Small Number of Supporters are Unique, Anti-Establishment Voters who would Not always show up to Vote for a Mainstream Democrat otherwise. “A Working Families Party endorsement and our ballot line brings in new votes for the candidates we support,” said Joe Dinkin, the WFP’s National Campaigns Director. “This is true upstate and in the suburbs, as well is in the city. Some of our voters are independents who are alienated from both parties and just want to vote for the candidates that will stick up for working families – people who see WFP as a credible validator fighting for good jobs, good schools and good government. Some are progressives who see the Democratic Party as too compromised by big money, and might cast a protest vote or not vote at all if the WFP isn't an option.”

The Public Evidence for Dinkin’s contention, though, is scant. What may happen, were Fusion Eliminated, is the Reduction of any lingering Clout for the Conservative and Independence Parties in an overwhelmingly Democratic State. With or without a Ballot Line, both of these Minor Parties could Not Play Kingmaker in Nassau and Suffolk Counties without Cross-Endorsing.

Each win Patronage Posts for Backing either Republicans or Democrats. In Suffolk, the Conservatives recently cut a Deal to Support a Democratic Candidate for Sheriff.

Corruption Scandals have been Commonplace. One Conservative Party Leader received a $65,000-per-year Patronage Gig after he helped cut a Deal with the Local Independence and Democratic Parties to back a Judicial Candidate. In Suffolk, the Local Democratic and Conservative Parties often Work in Tandem, Confusing Voters. A Previous Suffolk Conservative Party Chairman, Ed Walsh, was Sentenced to Two years in Prison for Pocketing Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from the Suffolk sheriff’s Department while Golfing, Gambling, and Politicking on County Time.

Were Fusion to be Eliminated, Third Parties would Not Automatically Lose Ballot Lines. They would simply be Unable to Cross-Endorse Candidates. Without Fusion, these Parties would still need to Preserve their Ballot Status every Four years by netting 50,000 Votes for their Own Individual Candidates in the Gubernatorial Race.

Fifty Thousand Votes, Statewide, isn’t a lot. The Green Party has blown past this Threshold without backing a Mainstream Democrat. But the WFP and Conservatives would have to reckon with Fielding their Own Candidates and running the risk of Siphoning Votes from a Democratic or Republican Contender.

The WFP, which backed Gov. Cuomo Statewide, is particularly wary of the Spoiler Effect, and would have to choose between trying to keep a Ballot Line and taking Votes from a Democrat.

The Conservatives, who back Republicans Statewide, would be in a similar Predicament.

The Independence Party, lacking the same Statewide Infrastructure, would likely Struggle the Most to Field a Competitive Third-Party Candidate under this Scenario.

If both the IP and WFP Lost their Ballot Lines, this would undoubtedly help Democratic candidates Locally.

For Democrats and Progressives, however, there is an Argument for keeping Fusion, one the WFP also makes: Greater Coordination between a Progressive Political Party and a Campaign that desperately needs its help. Political Parties in New York operate under far Looser campaign Finance Restrictions than Typical Outside Organizations and can perform Work, Pro-Bono, that a Political Action Committee (PAC) Cannot. PACs face the same Donation Limits as Individual Donors in any given Election Cycle.

With New York’s Politics already so Democrat-Dominated, and the Demographic Trend Lines only Pushing Republicans further into Extinction, it’s not entirely clear Fusion’s Disappearance would Change very much.

Republicans are on the Defensive and they will be for the foreseeable Future, but Ending Fusion Voting could Hasten their Demise.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker