The Fight for Ballot Access
New York Voters Deserve More Choices
Larry Sharpe has filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit challenging the combined burden of New York’s ballot-access requirements for independent candidates.
This lawsuit is about more than one candidate or one election. It is part of a long-term effort to make meaningful political competition possible in New York – and to advance the cause of ballot access nationwide.
What the lawsuit challenges
New York requires an independent statewide candidate to collect 45,000 valid signatures during a six-week period and file before the major political parties have completed their primary process.
The complaint argues that these requirements cannot be evaluated separately. Together, they create a severe practical burden involving:
– Tens of thousands of signatures gathered in only 42 days
– A deadline before many voters know who the major-party nominees will be
– The need to collect substantially more than 45,000 raw signatures to survive challenges and invalidations
– Major financial, organizational, training, transportation, and volunteer demands
– Long-term damage to independent political organizations after repeated unsuccessful petition drives
The lawsuit alleges that this combined system violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and denies independent candidates and their supporters equal protection under the law.
Why Larry Sharpe?
Larry is not an unknown or frivolous candidate.
He appeared on New York’s gubernatorial ballot in 2018 and received 95,033 votes. His campaigns have raised substantial support, conducted hundreds of public events, mobilized volunteers across New York, and demonstrated sustained statewide interest.
The complaint argues that excluding a candidate with that record does not protect voters from fraud or unserious candidacies. Instead, it deprives voters of meaningful political choice.
What the lawsuit asks the court to do
The lawsuit does not ask the court to place Larry Sharpe on the 2026 ballot.
It asks the court to:
– Find that New York’s combined ballot-access requirements imposed an unconstitutional burden as applied to Larry’s 2026 candidacy
– Declare that applying those requirements violated First and Fourteenth Amendment rights
– Award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs
– Grant any other relief the court determines is appropriate
The complaint states that Larry intends to seek ballot access again in a future election. The case therefore addresses a recurring problem that can outlast any single election cycle.
Why this matters nationally
This case directly challenges New York law, but the underlying problem is national: voters throughout the country face political systems designed around two established parties, while independent and emerging-party candidates must spend enormous resources merely obtaining permission to compete.
A victory in this case could strengthen the broader legal and public argument that ballot-access rules must be evaluated by their real-world cumulative burden—not merely by whether each individual requirement appears defensible in isolation.
The long-term goal is simple:
Qualified candidates should have a fair opportunity to compete, and voters—not political gatekeepers—should decide who deserves their support.
Case Information
Case:
Sharpe v. Kosinski et al.
Court:
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
Case number:
1:26-cv-02254-AMN-DJS
Filed:
November 2, 2026
Plaintiff:
Larry Sharpe
Defendants:
Four New York State Board of Elections officials, sued in their official capacities
Claims pleaded:
– As-applied violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments
– Equal Protection violation
Case documents