Senate Bill S5605

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Creates a pilot program to provide for an instant runoff voting method to be used in up to ten local governments for two years and provides for repeal of provisions

download bill text pdf

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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2017-S5605 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10886
Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Elections
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S3589
2011-2012: S422
2013-2014: S3274
2015-2016: S2738
2019-2020: S2517, A7387
2021-2022: S824, A7203
2023-2024: A3608

2017-S5605 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a pilot program to provide for an instant runoff voting method to be used in up to ten local governments, selected by the state board of elections, in election years 2020 and 2021; requires report to state legislature.

2017-S5605 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5605 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5605
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 20, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. KRUEGER, SQUADRON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to create a pilot program to test an instant runoff voting method
   of  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 who 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 who 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 ensures 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.
              

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