ALBANY, N.Y. — For the second consecutive gubernatorial election, New York voters will face a general election ballot featuring only two candidates for governor, despite five political party lines. In response, the Libertarian Party of New York is calling for a statewide “None of the Above” (VOTE NOTA) write-in protest in the November 3 election, challenging both the lack of competition and the state’s restrictive ballot-access laws.
Gov. Kathy Hochul appears on the Democratic and Working Families lines, while Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman appears on the Republican, Conservative, and Vote Affordable lines. Neither faced a contested gubernatorial primary, leaving voters in both major parties without an opportunity to choose between competing nominees.
Through its VOTE NOTA campaign, the party is urging New Yorkers dissatisfied with both candidates to use the gubernatorial write-in space to express that dissatisfaction rather than support either major-party nominee or stay home. LPNY describes the effort as a protest against a system in which five ballot lines offer only two choices, with the aim of demonstrating opposition to the political status quo and reducing the share of voter support received by the two major-party candidates.
“New Yorkers deserve to choose a governor, not settle for whoever survives the barriers to getting on the ballot,” said Duane Whitmer, Chair of the Libertarian Party of New York. “If no one on that ballot cares about you, no one supports you, and no one deserves your vote, you should be able to say so. That’s what our NOTA campaign is about. Politicians aren’t entitled to your support. They should have to earn it.”
In 2018, the Libertarian Party of New York earned official ballot access for the first time, only to lose it after lawmakers changed election rules in the 2020 state budget, requiring 45,000 petition signatures to place a candidate on the ballot and the greater of 130,000 votes or 2 percent to maintain party status. The new thresholds effectively shut out emerging political parties. But while Albany can keep alternatives off the printed ballot, it cannot prevent New Yorkers from expressing their rejection of both candidates through a write-in vote.
“We are done playing a game whose rules were rewritten to make sure we lose before the first vote is cast,” Skelly said. “If Albany wants a two-party state, it can have one, and it can own the turnout, the cynicism, and the legitimacy crisis that comes with it. We will not staff their stage.”
The LPNY also advocates ballot-access reform through Senate bill S01870 and Assembly bill A02724, which would restore pre-2020 thresholds of 15,000 petition signatures to appear on the ballot and 50,000 votes to qualify for party status, opening the door to greater political competition and more choices for New Yorkers.
For more information, visit votenota.org