Senate Bill S2741

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Establishes an instant runoff voting method for certain local elections; provides for repeal of such provisions

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2015-S2741 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A5744
Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 18 §§18-100 - 18-110, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A3281
2011-2012: A6398
2013-2014: S3250, A2109
2017-2018: S5616, A8613
2019-2020: S2717, A8073
2021-2022: S491, A5085
2023-2024: A8830

2015-S2741 - Summary

Establishes an instant runoff voting method for certain local elections for races with three or more candidates; insures majority support for elected officers; provides for repeal of such provisions.

2015-S2741 - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2741 - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  2741

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 28, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. KRUEGER, HOYLMAN -- 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 establishing an instant
  runoff voting method for certain local elections and providing for the
  repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings. The current system of voting often
results in the election of a candidate that does not  have the  majority
support  of  the  electorate  when  there  are  three or more candidates
running for an elective office. Further, where there are three  or  more
candidates  for an elective office, voters often will not vote for their
preferred candidate to avoid "wasting" their vote on a "spoiler"  candi-
date. Rather, they will vote against a candidate they dislike, by voting
for  a  leading candidate that they perceive as the lesser of two evils.
The result of the current system in multi-candidate  races  can  be  the
election of candidates that lack majority support.
  The  instant  runoff  voting method provides for the majority election
for elective offices. Instant runoff voting gives voters the  option  to
rank  candidates according to the order of their choice. If no candidate
obtains a majority of first-choice votes, then the  candidate  receiving
the  fewest  first-choice  votes  is  eliminated. Each vote cast for the
eliminated candidate shall be transferred to the candidate who  was  the
voter's  next  choice  on  the  ballot. The process is continued until a
candidate receives a majority of votes.
  There are several potential benefits  to  the  instant  runoff  voting
method.  First,  voters  are free to mark their ballot for the candidate
they truly prefer without fear that their choice will  help elect  their
least preferred candidate. Second, it insures that the elected candidate
has true majority support. In addition, the instant runoff voting method
will  (1)  promote  higher  voter  turnout,  and  (2) encourage positive

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00122-01-5
              

co-Sponsors

2015-S2741A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A5744
Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 18 §§18-100 - 18-110, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A3281
2011-2012: A6398
2013-2014: S3250, A2109
2017-2018: S5616, A8613
2019-2020: S2717, A8073
2021-2022: S491, A5085
2023-2024: A8830

2015-S2741A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes an instant runoff voting method for certain local elections for races with three or more candidates; insures majority support for elected officers; provides for repeal of such provisions.

2015-S2741A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2741A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                 2741--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 28, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. KRUEGER, HOYLMAN, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered
  printed, and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on
  Elections  --  recommitted to the Committee on Elections in accordance
  with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing an instant
  runoff voting method for certain local elections and providing for the
  repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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

  Section 1. Legislative findings. The current system  of  voting  often
results  in the election of a candidate that does not  have the majority
support of the electorate  when  there  are  three  or  more  candidates
running  for  an elective office. Further, where there are three or more
candidates for an elective office, voters often will not vote for  their
preferred  candidate to avoid "wasting" their vote on a "spoiler" candi-
date. Rather, they will vote against a candidate they dislike, by voting
for a leading candidate that they perceive as the lesser of  two  evils.
The  result  of  the  current system in multi-candidate races can be the
election of candidates that lack majority support.
  The instant runoff voting method provides for  the  majority  election
for  elective  offices. Instant runoff voting gives voters the option to
rank candidates according to the order of their choice. If no  candidate
obtains  a  majority of first-choice votes, then the candidate receiving
the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated.  Each  vote  cast  for  the
eliminated  candidate  shall be transferred to the candidate who was the
voter's next choice on the ballot. The  process  is  continued  until  a
candidate receives a majority of votes.
  There  are  several  potential  benefits  to the instant runoff voting
method. First, voters are free to mark their ballot  for  the  candidate
they  truly prefer without fear that their choice will  help elect their

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00122-02-6
              

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