Fusion voting

The commission could vote to end "fusion voting," which helps small third parties like the WFP and the Conservative Party get on the ballot.

The all-day hearing was the first of several being staged across the state before the commission, known as the New York Campaign Financing Commission, makes its full recommendations in December.

A 1911 ruling that eliminating cross-party endorsements 'would be destructive of fair elections' is at the heart of lawsuits against the state Public Campaign Financing Commission by the Working Families Party and Conservative Party.

On Monday, the New York State Democratic Party, an entity largely controlled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, voted to endorse a radical reshaping New York election law.