Senate Bill S6911

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6911

SPONSOR: FUNKE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to party nominations by
multiple political parties

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would amend the election law to preserve New Yorkers' right to
form, maintain and join political parties and provide for the establish-
ment of a political party when its candidate for governor polls at least
50,000 votes at any of the last three elections for governor. It would
further enumerate protections for fusion voting and the ability of New
Yorkers to cast their ballot for a candidate and party of their choice.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would amend section 1-104 of the election law to specifically
provide that the term "political party" shall mean any political organ-
              

ization, which at any of the last three preceding elections for gover-
nor, polled at least fifty thousand votes for its candidate for gover-
nor.

This bill would further add a new section 6-103 of the election law to
specifically provide:

* That any candidate for election to public office may receive the nomi-
nation of any political party;

* That a candidate for election to public office nominated by a poli-
tical party may also receive a nomination of any other political party;

* That the name of a candidate for election to public office shall
appear on the ballot as many times as there are parties or independent
bodies nominating him or her, and that there shall be a separate voting
and registering device at each place in which such name shall appear;
and

* That a candidate for public office nominated by more than one poli-
tical party shall be deemed to have received all the votes cast under
such candidate's name under all the political parties or independent
bodies nominating him or her.

Lastly, this bill would expressly override and supersede the recommenda-
tions of the 2019 Commission on Campaign Finance that wrongfully sought
to limit New Yorkers right to form, maintain and join political parties
and provide for the establishment of a political party when its candi-
date for governor polls at least 50,000 votes.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New Yorkers deserve the right to form, maintain and join a political
party of their choice.

They should further have the right to vote for any candidate nominated
by any such party.

This bill would expressly provide that the people of New York have a
statutory right to vote for candidates on any party line that nominates
a candidate. It would further protect a voter's choice and ability to
express their political views through the casting of their ballot.

Recently, those who wish to limit the people's right to cast their
ballot for any candidate nominated by any political party, and thereby
restrict access to voter expression, formed a constitutionally circum-
spect commission, to circumvent the election law, and serious limit a
voter's choices that fusion voting offers.  This bill would legally
supersede and override the recommendations of that commission and
provide a statutorily guaranteed framework to enfranchise New York
voters.

New York has long provided voters with the ability to cast their ballot
for both the candidate and party of their choice. This ability should
not be allowed to be eviscerated by an unelected commission, dominated
by political party bosses and appointees.

This bill would thereby provide a statutory right to New Yorkers, to
allow them to cast their ballot for both the candidate and party of
their choice. In so doing it would protect this essential fundamental
liberty of suffrage, that has become so important to our citizens.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.