BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo professors say federal Judge John Sinatra’s decision to put Mayor Byron Brown's name on the November ballot could set a precedent for future elections.

What You Need To Know

  • Federal Judge John Sinatra on Friday granted Byron Brown an independent ballot line
  • Brown turned his petitions in months after the state deadline and following his Democratic primary loss to India Walton
  • Walton called into question Judge Sinatra, the brother of developer Nick Sinatra, who regularly contributes to Brown's campaign

"Even experts in this arena will be trying to sort out what happened for a bit," Jacob Neiheisel, University at Buffalo associate political science professor, said.

Neiheisel says the federal court enters into new territory for those in the political science world. Fellow assistant political science professor Shawn Donahue says there's an appeal to being on the ballot rather than have a write-in campaign.

"Whenever people have to run write-in candidacies, since a lot of people are not familiar to casting in a write-in vote, which is not that complicated, but it does require a little bit of voter education,” Donahue said. “And if his name is not on the ballot, he will not have to do that anymore, so it makes it a much easier chance for him to get people to vote for him.”

Neiheisel says he doesn't believe the ruling will change public opinion on the necessity of primaries, but it does open up the floor to conversations about limiting ballot access.

"As the voters of New York, what do we want to see?” Neiheisel said. “Do we want to see fairly unfettered access to the ballot? Do we want to see lots of people have the ability to petition their way to the ballot? Or are we OK with basically two options.”

Both professors say the decision, if upheld after an appeal by Democratic nominee for mayor, India Walton, could encourage future potential candidates to follow suit.

"The decision that a judge makes would not just be limited, you would have to think, to Mayor Brown,” Donahue said. “That he's making a broader argument that it was denying voters the chance to actually fill in the bubble for him, so why would others not attempt that?"

Neiheisel says it could provide an avenue for potential third party and independent candidates to wait past the earlier petition deadline to join the race.

"If they have to decide really, really far back out from the election, they're probably unwilling to throw their hat into the ring for any number of reasons," Neiheisel said. 

He says it could allow them to better determine when the right time to enter the race may be and take advantage of that.