Senate Bill S561

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   561

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DeFRANCISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to party  nominations  for
  candidates for county office

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new  section  6-109
to read as follows:
  S 6-109. PARTY NOMINATIONS; COUNTIES. 1. PARTY DESIGNATION OF A CANDI-
DATE  FOR  NOMINATION  FOR  ANY OFFICE TO BE FILLED BY THE VOTERS OF THE
ENTIRE COUNTY SHALL BE MADE BY THE COUNTY COMMITTEE, IF THE PARTY  RULES
OF SUCH COUNTY SO PROVIDE.
  2.  THE COUNTY COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE SUCH DESIGNATION BY MAJORITY VOTE.
THE PERSON RECEIVING THE MAJORITY VOTE SHALL BE THE  PARTY'S  DESIGNATED
CANDIDATE  FOR  NOMINATION.  UPON  THE  VOTE  FOR SUCH DESIGNATION, EACH
MEMBER OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO  CAST  A  NUMBER  OF
VOTES  WHICH  SHALL  BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RATIO WHICH THE NUMBER OF
VOTES FOR THE PARTY CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR ON THE LINE OR COLUMN OF  THE
PARTY AT THE LAST PRECEDING GENERAL STATE ELECTION IN THE UNIT OF REPRE-
SENTATION  SUCH  MEMBER  REPRESENTS BEARS TO THE TOTAL VOTE CAST ON SUCH
LINE OR COLUMN AT SUCH ELECTION FOR SUCH CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR  IN  THE
ENTIRE COUNTY. THE APPORTIONMENT OF SUCH VOTES AS SO PRESCRIBED SHALL BE
DETERMINED BY THE RULES OF THE PARTY.
  3.  ENROLLED MEMBERS OF THE PARTY MAY MAKE OTHER DESIGNATIONS BY PETI-
TION FOR A MEMBER OF THE SAME PARTY.
  4. THE MEETING OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF  DESIGNATING
CANDIDATES  SHALL  BE  HELD  NOT EARLIER THAN TWENTY-ONE DAYS BEFORE THE
FIRST DAY TO SIGN DESIGNATING PETITIONS AND NOT LATER THAN THE FIRST DAY
TO SIGN DESIGNATING PETITIONS FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01096-01-5
              

S. 561                              2

  5. WITHIN FOUR DAYS AFTER SUCH MEETING,  THE  COUNTY  COMMITTEE  SHALL
FILE WITH THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS:
  (A)  THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE DESIGNATION OF THE
COUNTY COMMITTEE AND THE OFFICES FOR WHICH DESIGNATED; AND
  (B) THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS SELECTED BY THE COMMITTEE TO FILL  VACAN-
CIES  OR A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE PARTY RULE EMPOWERING SUCH COMMITTEE TO
FILL VACANCIES.
  6. NO PERSON MAY BE DESIGNATED BY A COUNTY COMMITTEE FOR MORE THAN ONE
OFFICE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
  7. PARTY DESIGNATION OF A CANDIDATE FOR ANY OFFICE CONTAINED WITHIN  A
COUNTY  SHALL BE DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS REPRESENTING
THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF SUCH OFFICE, IF THE  PARTY  RULES  OF  SUCH
COUNTY SO PROVIDE.
  8.  A  CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE FROM A DISTRICT WHICH CROSSES COUNTY LINES
SHALL BE DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM  SUCH  DISTRICT
IF  THE  RULES OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEES OF EACH SUCH COUNTY SHALL ALL SO
PROVIDE.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
have become a law.