Assembly Bill A7387

2019-2020 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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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2019-A7387 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2517
Current Committee:
Assembly Election Law
Law Section:
Elections
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S3589
2011-2012: S422
2013-2014: S3274
2015-2016: S2738
2017-2018: A10886, S5605
2021-2022: A7203, S824
2023-2024: A3608

2019-A7387 (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 2022 and 2023; requires report to state legislature.

2019-A7387 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7387
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 29, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN  ACT  to create a pilot program to test a ranked choice 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 ranked choice voting method provides for the majority election for
 elective  offices.  Ranked choice 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 ranked choice voting meth-
 od.  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 ranked choice voting method will
 (1) promote higher voter turnout, and (2) encourage  positive  campaign-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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