senate Bill S2517

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

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee


  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor Calendar
    • Passed Senate
    • Passed Assembly
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020 referred to elections
Jan 25, 2019 referred to elections

Co-Sponsors

S2517 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7387
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
2017-2018: S5605, A10886
2021-2022: S824, A7203
2023-2024: A3608

S2517 (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.

S2517 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S2517 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2517

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 25, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- 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 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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