New York City Ballot Layout Raises Questions of Rigged Voting, But No Evidence of Fraud Found
For years, voters in New York have been accustomed to seeing candidates listed multiple times on their ballots. This practice, known as fusion voting, allows candidates to appear under multiple political parties, with some outside observers expressing concern that it may be evidence of rigged voting.
Elon Musk, billionaire owner of the X platform and former advisor to President Donald Trump, was among those criticizing the ballots. He claimed that the New York City ballot form was a "scam" due to its lack of ID requirements and confusing layout. However, experts say there is nothing amiss with the ballots, which are in line with New York's voting laws.
According to Richard Briffault, an expert on election administration and professor at Columbia Law School, fusion voting allows candidates to appear more than once on ballots due to the practice of multiple parties nominating them. This can lead to candidates appearing in lower spots on the ballot, such as former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was listed eighth despite running as an independent.
However, Briffault notes that this is a common practice in New York and other states where fusion voting is legal, including Oregon, Vermont, and Mississippi. The practice enables Democratic candidates to receive votes from non-traditional voters and Republicans to get the votes of non-Republican voters.
Critics like Musk point to Cuomo's lower spot on the ballot as evidence of voter suppression or rigged voting. However, experts say that Cuomo is listed only once because he was nominated by one party, and his low ranking is due to the order determined by the state law governing party appearances.
Fusion voting does not allow candidates to receive multiple votes from the same voter, as voters may only vote for a candidate under one party. And while New York City does not require ID to vote unless it was not provided with registration, there are safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud, according to the AP.
In conclusion, while the layout of the New York City ballot may be confusing, there is no evidence of rigged voting or election fraud found in the facts. The practice of fusion voting is a common and legal aspect of New York's voting system, which allows candidates to appear under multiple parties.
For years, voters in New York have been accustomed to seeing candidates listed multiple times on their ballots. This practice, known as fusion voting, allows candidates to appear under multiple political parties, with some outside observers expressing concern that it may be evidence of rigged voting.
Elon Musk, billionaire owner of the X platform and former advisor to President Donald Trump, was among those criticizing the ballots. He claimed that the New York City ballot form was a "scam" due to its lack of ID requirements and confusing layout. However, experts say there is nothing amiss with the ballots, which are in line with New York's voting laws.
According to Richard Briffault, an expert on election administration and professor at Columbia Law School, fusion voting allows candidates to appear more than once on ballots due to the practice of multiple parties nominating them. This can lead to candidates appearing in lower spots on the ballot, such as former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was listed eighth despite running as an independent.
However, Briffault notes that this is a common practice in New York and other states where fusion voting is legal, including Oregon, Vermont, and Mississippi. The practice enables Democratic candidates to receive votes from non-traditional voters and Republicans to get the votes of non-Republican voters.
Critics like Musk point to Cuomo's lower spot on the ballot as evidence of voter suppression or rigged voting. However, experts say that Cuomo is listed only once because he was nominated by one party, and his low ranking is due to the order determined by the state law governing party appearances.
Fusion voting does not allow candidates to receive multiple votes from the same voter, as voters may only vote for a candidate under one party. And while New York City does not require ID to vote unless it was not provided with registration, there are safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud, according to the AP.
In conclusion, while the layout of the New York City ballot may be confusing, there is no evidence of rigged voting or election fraud found in the facts. The practice of fusion voting is a common and legal aspect of New York's voting system, which allows candidates to appear under multiple parties.
. i mean, richard briffault says it's a common practice in other states too... and fusion voting just allows more people to have a say, regardless of party 
. it's not like they're cheating or anything 
. Cuomo might be listed last, but it's still one vote for him 
. maybe we should focus on getting our votes counted instead of worrying about the ballot layout 
?
. I mean, come on, it's just a different way of listing candidates on the ballot...like, what's wrong with having options? It's not like they're rigging votes or anything! 
. In fact, it sounds like a legit way to get more people voting for candidates who might not normally be considered...and let's be real, every vote counts, right? 
... Cuomo being listed lower on the ballot has nothing to do with voter suppression or rigging, it's just the order of parties as per state law 
... and btw, not requiring ID to vote isn't a bad thing 
... I mean, if you think that voters are gonna be able to figure out where their votes go because it's all laid out there in black & white, then I guess that's a good thing 
. But at the same time, like, what if people just don't get it? And we end up with candidates getting more votes than they actually got from actual voters? 
. Like, I get that he thinks the layout is confusing, but is that really his problem to care about? And what's with him making such a big deal out of it without actually checking the facts first? 
.
. But at the same time, I can understand why people might be skeptical... who knows what's really going on behind the scenes? 
Maybe it's all just a big game of political chess, and we're just pawns in the process 
.
But seriously, I get why some people might think it's rigged or something. It does look kinda confusing. But I guess experts say it's all legit and part of the voting law in New York... 
. And honestly, I'm not sure if I like or dislike it...I guess what I want is for the voting system to be clear and easy to understand 
.
. I mean, come on, it's not like voters are tricked into voting for someone they didn't want to 
. Let's focus on fixing our schools and healthcare instead of stressing about ballot layouts 
its not about voter suppression or rigged voting at all, its just a clever way for candidates to reach more people 
. Fusion voting is just a thing in some states, and if you're gonna complain about it, you gotta know what's really going on 
about election rigging and voter suppression 
. The system is in place to ensure everyone gets a say, and if you take the time to understand it, you'll be just fine 
.
. I need more than just claims from critics like Musk to convince me otherwise 
and btw fusion voting is actually a pro for non-traditional voters & candidates who need to reach different crowds 
but if we're gonna trash the whole system, let's at least get the facts straight 
like, have you guys seen the voter ID laws that are actually in place to prevent voter suppression? 
.
