Fusion voting
Definition
Fusion voting lets more than one party nominate the same candidate, whose votes are then combined across ballot lines. Only a few states, mainly New York and Connecticut, still permit it.1 Most banned it in the late 1800s.
Why it matters
A minor party's cross-endorsement line lets it show its real vote strength and press a major-party candidate on specific issues without spoiling the race. It also creates leverage, since withdrawing a cross-endorsement can threaten to pull votes away from an ally in a close contest.
Seen in the wild
In New York's 17th Congressional District in 2024, the Working Families Party's ballot line became a flashpoint when the party's own leadership disavowed its primary winner, Anthony Frascone, and campaigned against him to avoid splitting votes from Democrat Mondaire Jones against incumbent Mike Lawler.2