NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6213A

Senate Bill S6213A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Permits New York city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for the same New York city municipal public office or party position

download bill text pdf

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to elections
May 17, 2021	print number 6213a
May 17, 2021	amend (t) and recommit to elections
Apr 15, 2021	referred to elections

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2021-S6213 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6582
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §6-134, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S4080, A4653

2021-S6213 - Summary

Permits New York city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for the same New York City municipal public office or party position.

2021-S6213 - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6213

SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to permitting New York
city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for
the same public office or party position

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends subdivision 3 of section 6-134 of the election law, so
that a person can sign more than one ballot petition without "over-de-
signating," in order to account for New York City's ranked-choice voting
system.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Under current New York State election law, a ballot petition is only
allowed to hold a number of candidates equal to the number of offices to
be elected, and no more. In other words, an individual is only allowed

to sign one ballot petition for one candidate for one open seat, and no
more. In 2019, however, New York City overwhelmingly adopted ranked
choice voting, a system wherein individuals can express multiple prefer-
ences for the candidates for a particular office. More than seventy
percent of voters in New York City voted in favor of ranked choice
voting and the ability to prioritize multiple candidates for the offices
of mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president and members of
the City Council.

This legislation amends the election law to accommodate ranked choice
voting in New York City. Specifically, this legislation modifies section
6-134-3 of the election law with respect to so-called "over desig-
nations" in New York City, thereby enabling New York City voters to
support multiple candidates' petitions for the same elected office.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6213 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6213
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 15, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BRISPORT -- 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  permitting  New  York
   city  voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for
   the same public office or party position

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  3  of  section 6-134 of the election law, as
 added by chapter 709 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
   3. (A) If a voter shall sign any petition or petitions  designating  a
 greater  number  of  candidates for public office or party position than
 the number of persons to be elected thereto [his] THEIR  signatures,  if
 they  bear the same date, shall not be counted upon any petition, and if
 they bear different dates shall be counted in the order of their priori-
 ty of date, for only so many  designees  as  there  are  persons  to  be
 elected.
   (B)  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, A VOTER IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK MAY DESIGNATE A GREATER NUMBER  OF
 CANDIDATES  FOR  PUBLIC  OFFICE  OR  PARTY  POSITION  THAN THE NUMBER OF
 PERSONS TO BE ELECTED, WITH NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF DESIGNATIONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10335-02-1

co-Sponsors

2021-S6213A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6582
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §6-134, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S4080, A4653

2021-S6213A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Permits New York city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for the same New York City municipal public office or party position.

2021-S6213A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6213A

SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to permitting New York
city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates for
the same New York city municipal public office or party position

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends subdivision 3 of section 6-134 of the election law, so
that a person can sign more than one ballot petition without "over-de-
signating," in order to account for New York City's ranked-choice voting
system.

 
JUSTIFICATION:  Under current New York State election law, a ballot
petition is only allowed to hold a number of candidates equal to the
number of offices to be elected, and no more. In other words, an indi-
vidual is only allowed to sign one ballot petition for one candidate for
one open seat, and no more. In 2019, however, New York City overwhelm-

ingly adopted ranked choice voting, a system wherein individuals can
express multiple preferences for the candidates for a particular office.
More than seventy percent of voters in New York City voted in favor of
ranked choice voting and the ability to prioritize multiple candidates
for the offices of mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough presi-
dent and members of the City Council.

This legislation amends the election law to accommodate ranked choice
voting in New York City. Specifically, this legislation modifies section
6-134-3 of the election law with respect to so-called "over desig-
nations" in New York City, thereby enabling New York City voters to
support multiple candidates' petitions for the same elected office.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6213A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6213--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 15, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BRISPORT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Elections  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the election law, in relation to permitting New York
   city voters to sign designating petitions for multiple candidates  for
   the same New York city municipal public office or party position
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 6-134  of  the  election  law,  as
 added by chapter 709 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  (A)  If a voter shall sign any petition or petitions designating a
 greater number of candidates for public office or  party  position  than
 the  number  of persons to be elected thereto [his] THEIR signatures, if
 they bear the same date, shall not be counted upon any petition, and  if
 they bear different dates shall be counted in the order of their priori-
 ty  of  date,  for  only  so  many  designees as there are persons to be
 elected.
   (B) NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF  THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION,  A VOTER IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK MAY DESIGNATE A GREATER NUMBER OF
 CANDIDATES FOR A NEW YORK CITY MUNICIPAL PUBLIC OFFICE OR PARTY POSITION
 WITHIN THE FIVE COUNTIES OF NEW YORK CITY THAN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS  TO
 BE ELECTED, WITH NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF DESIGNATIONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10335-04-1

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