S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8960
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
August 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SEAWRIGHT, TAYLOR -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to protecting the personal
information of candidates for public office
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 6-132 of the election law is amended by adding two
new subdivisions 1-a and 2-a to read as follows:
1-A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES APPEARING ON SUCH PETITION SHALL
BE REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
2-A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE WITNESS TO THE SIGNATURES ON SUCH PETITION SHALL BE
REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
§ 2. Section 6-140 of the election law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-A. (I) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE
RELEASE OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC,
THE HOME ADDRESS OF THE CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES APPEARING ON SUCH PETI-
TION SHALL BE REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
(II) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE WITNESS TO THE SIGNATURES ON SUCH PETITION SHALL BE
REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13399-01-5
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§ 3. Section 6-144 of the election law, as amended by chapter 635 of
the laws of 1990, the opening paragraph as amended by chapter 150 of the
laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
§ 6-144. Nominating and designating petitions and certificates; place
for filing. Petitions, certificates and minutes specified in this arti-
cle shall be filed in the office of the Board of Elections of the coun-
ty, except as follows: for an office or position to be voted for wholly
within the city of New York, in the office of the Board of Elections of
that city; for an office or position to be voted for in a district
greater than one county, or portions of two or more counties, in the
office of the state board of elections; for a village office to be
filled in a village election not conducted by the board of elections, in
the office of the village clerk. All such petitions and certificates
shall at the time of filing thereof be endorsed by such officer or board
with the day, hour and minute of such filing. Such officer or board
shall keep a book, which shall be open to public inspection in which
shall be entered the times of filing all such petitions and certif-
icates; the names [and residences] of all candidates named therein; the
names [and residences] of all candidates certified to such officer or
board; the title of the office or party position; the name of the party
or independent body to which the petition or certificate relates and a
memorandum of any objections to such petition or certificate. Forthwith
upon the filing of a petition or certificate designating or nominating a
person or persons for public office, such officer or board shall mail
notice thereof to each such person. Such notice shall also state the
last day to decline such designation or nomination, and include a state-
ment that the candidate's name shall appear on the ballot as it appears
in such notice.
§ 4. Section 6-204 of the election law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-A. (I) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE
RELEASE OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC,
THE HOME ADDRESS OF THE CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES APPEARING ON SUCH PETI-
TION SHALL BE REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
(II) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE WITNESS TO THE SIGNATURES ON SUCH PETITION SHALL BE
REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
§ 5. Section 6-206 of the election law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-A. (I) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE
RELEASE OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC,
THE HOME ADDRESS OF THE CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES APPEARING ON SUCH PETI-
TION SHALL BE REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
(II) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE WITNESS TO THE SIGNATURES ON SUCH PETITION SHALL BE
REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
§ 6. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 15-108 of the election
law, as separately amended by chapters 106 and 176 of the laws of 2017,
is amended to read as follows:
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a. (1) Party designations for elective village offices shall be made
on a designating petition containing the signatures in ink of residents
of the village who are registered to vote with the appropriate county
board of elections at the time of signing and who are enrolled in such
political party. The sheets of such a petition shall be numbered. Such
petition [must] SHALL set forth in each instance the correct date of
signing, the name of the signer, and [his or her] SUCH SIGNER'S present
address, and may set forth a committee to fill vacancies consisting of
at least three qualified voters of the village enrolled in such party
and their residence within the village. A signer need not [himself or
herself] fill in the date or residence THEMSELVES. Each sheet of such
petition [must] SHALL be in substantially the following form and shall
contain all the information required therein:
PARTY DESIGNATING PETITION
I, the undersigned do hereby state that I am a registered voter of the
Village of ...... and a duly enrolled voter of the ........ party and
entitled to vote at the next primary election of such party, that my
place of residence is truly stated opposite my signature hereto, and I
hereby designate the following named person (or persons) as a candidate
(or candidates) for nomination of such party for the public office (or
public offices) to be voted for at the primary election to be held on
the ...... day of ........... 20.... as hereinafter specified.
Public Office
(include district
number, if
Name of Candidate applicable) Term Residence
.................... ................. ....... ...............
.................... ................. ....... ...............
I do hereby appoint (insert names and addresses of at least three
persons, all of whom shall be enrolled voters of said party) as a
committee to fill vacancies in accordance with the provisions of the
election law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, the day and year
placed opposite my signature.
Date Name Residence
............. ............. ...............
............. ............. ...............
STATEMENT OF WITNESS
I ............... (name of witness) state: I am a duly qualified voter
of the State of New York; and an enrolled voter of the ......... party.
I now reside at ..............(residence address). Each of the persons
whose names are subscribed to this petition sheet
containing ......... signatures, subscribed [his or her] THEIR name in
my presence.
I understand that this statement will be accepted for all purposes as
the equivalent of an affidavit and, if it contains a material false
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statement, shall subject me to the same penalties as if I had been duly
sworn.
(2) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES APPEARING ON SUCH PETITION SHALL
BE REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
(3) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE
OF A DESIGNATION OR NOMINATION PETITION THROUGH A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
REQUEST OR THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH DOCUMENT TO THE PUBLIC, THE HOME
ADDRESS OF THE WITNESS TO THE SIGNATURES ON SUCH PETITION SHALL BE
REDACTED IN EACH INSTANCE.
§ 7. Subdivision 8 of section 3-220 of the election law, as added by
section 6 of part F of chapter 55 of the laws of 2024, is amended to
read as follows:
8. Where a board of elections receives a notification pursuant to
paragraph (c) of subdivision two of section eight hundred fifty-nine of
the judiciary law, such board of elections shall comply with such
notification[, except that where the notification requires the board of
elections to cease making a person's address public, such board shall
not comply therewith from the date of filing of any ballot access or
related document containing such address until thirty days after the
last day to commence a special proceeding or action with respect to such
filing].
§ 8. This act shall take effect immediately.