Assembly Bill A8830

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes a ranked choice voting method for certain local elections

download bill text pdf

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Current 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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2023-A8830 (ACTIVE) - Details

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
2015-2016: A5744
2017-2018: A8613
2019-2020: A8073
2021-2022: A5085

2023-A8830 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a ranked choice voting method for certain local elections.

2023-A8830 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8830
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 18, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- 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-
 ing,  since  candidates  will  seek second-choice and third-choice votes
 from voters and will therefore be less likely to attack other candidates
 and alienate voters that support other candidates as their first choice.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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