Green Party voters in New York State today will be selecting candidates for Mayor of Albany and New York City Council. Polls open at 6:00 AM in New York City and Noon throughout the rest of state. They remain open until 9:00 PM.

Jabari Brisport and Scott Hutchins are seeking the Green Party nomination for New York City Council, District 35. Bryan Jimenez and Dan Plaat are running for Mayor of Albany.

New York State allows fusion voting, whereby a candidate can appear on multiple ballot lines. When the polls close, all votes cast for such a candidate are totaled together, regardless of ballot line.

Because of the "Opportunity to Ballot" provision in state election law, Greens in the Capital District have been forced to field a number of legitimate Greens as write-in candidates in an effort to prevent the major parties from stealing the Green Party ballot line.

Greens running to protect the ballot line include the following:

Rensselaer County

County Executive

Wayne J. Foy

County Legislature District 1

Deyva Arthur

County Legislature District 1

Write-In: Jonathan E. Flanders

City of Troy

City Council District 3

Write-In: Neil Abdul-Wahab

Schenectady County

County Legislature District 3

Write-In: Matthew V. Willemain

Richard H. Moran Jr.

Peter Looker

Specific examples of attempts to steal the Green Party line:

Example One

Sample Ballot asking Greens to write-in 3 candidates, without informing voters that all three are Democrats

Example Two

Letter asking Greens in Schenectady County to vote for candidates without informing voters that all six are Democrats

Example Three

Second letter asking Greens in Schenectady County to vote for candidates without informing voters that all six are Democrats

Example Four

Letter from a Conservative Party Legislator claiming to be a Green Party member.