Assembly Bill A8073

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Establishes a ranked choice voting method for certain local elections; provides for repeal of such 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-A8073 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2717
Current Committee:
Assembly Election Law
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: A2109, S3250
2015-2016: A5744, S2741
2017-2018: A8613, S5616
2021-2022: A5085, S491
2023-2024: A8830

2019-A8073 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a ranked choice voting method for certain local elections; provides for repeal of such provisions.

2019-A8073 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8073
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 31, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LIFTON -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to establishing a ranked
   choice 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 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 insures 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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