Senate Bill S5616

2017-2018 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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2017-S5616 (ACTIVE) - Details

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:
2013-2014: S3250
2015-2016: S2741
2019-2020: S2717
2021-2022: S491

2017-S5616 (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.

2017-S5616 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5616 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5616
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 20, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. KRUEGER, HOYLMAN, SERRANO -- 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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