Arcuri and Logan Bell may loose third party ballot lines

By Sam Foster
Via Utica Observer-Dispatch

Many have tried, many have failed. This election season has not been kind to those looking to add third party ballot lines for November. Janice Volk tried, but could not secure a Tea Party line earlier this month for NY's 29th congressional district. Now it seems that libertarian Logan Bell and Democrat incumbent Mike Arcuri may not secure ballot lines in NY's 24th congressional district.

The Observer-Dispact reports:

Following an objection to Tompkins County resident Ernest Logan Bell’s petition to gain an independent ballot line, state Board of Elections staff are recommending the board’s commissioners remove Bell from the ballot, spokesman John Conklin said Monday.

Conklin also said U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri’s independent petition is at risk, but an attorney for Arcuri’s campaign disagreed.

Among the objections to Bell’s petition was a challenge that he didn’t submit the required 3,500 signatures to gain the Libertarian Party line, Conklin said. In response, officials counted the signatures and found that Bell had only submitted 3,319 signatures, Conklin said.

Conklin said Arcuri’s independent NY Moderates line is at risk because of a state law that says a ballot line can’t include the words “New York,” and the board assumes NY stands for New York, Conklin said.

“It’s possible it will be invalidated,” Conklin said.

It’s unclear whether Arcuri would have the option of changing the name of his ballot line to remove the “NY,” Conklin said.

But James Long, an Albany attorney who represents Arcuri’s campaign, said that’s exactly what will happen.

“It’s not at risk,” Long said of Arcuri’s petition. “It’s going to be just Moderates.”

There could be an issue if there were multiple candidates all attempting to run on the NY Moderates line, but because it’s just Arcuri, the Board of Elections is likely to allow the congressman to just change the name, Long said.