The Libertarian Party in New York (LPNY) has placed a presidential candidate on statewide election ballots every presidential year since 1976. The new requirement of 45,000 valid petition signatures during the six-week petition period from April 16–May 28 will be hard to attain. 

To qualify, LPNY must use “stand-in” temporary candidates, because the national party doesn’t nominate candidates until the Libertarian National Convention is held in Washington, D.C. May 24-26.

The LPNY held a nominating convention for temporary candidates in Watkins Glen, NY in March, and selected Larry Sharpe to stand in as the Presidential candidate on the statewide petition. Sharpe was the party’s candidate for governor in 2018 and 2022. 

Rich Purtell, second vice-chair of the LPNY, was selected as the stand-in for Vice President. Purtell has run for office as a Libertarian candidate several times.

The 45,000 petition-signature requirement in New York for independent bodies over a six-week period represents the highest number of signatures per day required of any state. It used to be 15,000 signatures and the party was able to get that every time, but Gov. Cuomo tripled the requirements in part ZZZ of the 2020-2021 budget.

The Libertarian Party went through a three-year legal battle going all the way up to the Supreme Court, but they didn’t take the case.

The new requirements also set a precedent in 2022, which was the first time there were only two choices for governor in New York since 1946. As long as strenuous ballot access requirements remain in effect, New Yorkers will be stuck with two parties. 

The Libertarian party doesn’t want to see that happen, especially when Americans are more and more dissatisfied with the two major parties, and their respective presumptive nominees.

The state party is making an urgent plea for petition volunteers, and voters are encouraged to sign petition pages to enable Libertarian Party challengers this election, even though the names of those challengers will not be known until the Libertarian National Convention is held. Learn more at www.lpny.org/2024-petitioning-portal/. 

Andrew Kolstee
Chair of the Libertarian Party of New York 
Albany, NY