A lawsuit filed in Wisconsin Tuesday could bring back fusion voting, a practice that was once common in a number of states.

The lawsuit, from the newly formed group United Wisconsin, asks the state to revive fusion voting, a practice that allows the same candidate to appear on the ballot under multiple parties. Advocates of the practice argue that fusion voting empowers independent voters and less well-known political parties.

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Fusion voting was commonplace in the 1800s, but most states banned it by the late 1900s. It allowed candidates nominated by mainstream Republican or Democratic parties also to be listed under another political party. 

Connecticut and New York still use this practice. For example, in New York’s 14th Congressional District, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) appears on the ballot with the Democratic Party, but also on a line with the Working Families Party.

It is partially legal in California, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, as it is only allowed in certain elections. Other states, including Kansas, Michigan, and New Jersey, have seen efforts to bring back the practice.

Those opposed to fusion voting argue that it can confuse voters and give small parties a disproportionate sense of importance. 

HERE ARE THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN STRUCK DOWN

United Wisconsin is aiming to become a fusion political party, which will eventually nominate a major party candidate.

Dale Schultz, co-chair of the group and a former Republican state Senate majority leader, said that the group would first “like to see the state courts affirm that we have a constitutional right to associate with whomever we want.”