a major party. The Libertarian Party of New York declined to achieve ballot status by this means, although Republican William Weld flirted with the LPNY gubernatorial nomination in 2006. In 2018, Larry Sharpe, the Libertarian Party nominee for governor that year, finished with over 90,000 votes, the most in the state party's history for a gubernatorial candidate. By surpassing 50,000 votes, the Libertarian Party had achieved qualified party status, and ballot access, for the first time in its history. The party's membership jumped 25 percent after the qualification. However, the Libertarian Party lost its ballot status line in 2020 due to a change in New York State election law that is still under litigation. Ballot access After it first received write-in votes in 1972 for presidential candidate John Hospers and vice presidential candidate Tonie Nathan (The first female candidate for Vice President to receive an electoral vote), the LPNY has obtained at least 15,000 petition signatures and placed statewide candidates on the ballot in every statewide election between 1974 and 2016, except 1986. These signatures were, by law, collected in a six-week period in mid-July to August (except in 1994, see Schulz v. Williams, 44 F.3d 48 (2d Cir. 1994)). In the gubernatorial elections, Libertarian candidates included a full slate of the possible statewide candidates: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, and, when one is up for election: Senator. In the Presidential races, candidates included the full number of Electors for President and Vice President, and when one is up for election, Senator. This regular achievement of statewide ballot status by a full slate of candidates for 42 years indicates substantial support in New York State. Under the change in New York State election law, the Libertarian Party lost its status as one of the Qualified New York political parties. Nationally, the Libertarian Party has 208,456 voters registered by the respective state boards of election. Leadership The officers of the Libertarian Party of New York are elected annually. In 2018, the party become a ballot-recognized party, and a political entity was created that is recognized under election law. Therefore, the party is current going through a transition as it works to restructure. The officers of both entities are listed. Past leadership Listed local affiliates The Libertarian Party of New York contains local county affiliates, each of which is administered by its own local Libertarian Party. County officers are elected in