NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1649A

Senate Bill S1649A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to primary election voting ballots in cities with a population of one million or more as of the latest federal decennial census

download bill text pdf

Current 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 06, 2025	print number 1649a
Jun 06, 2025	amend (t) and recommit to elections
Jan 13, 2025	referred to elections

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S1649 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§7-116 & 7-118, El L

2025-S1649 - Summary

Relates to the order of candidate and delegate names on primary ballots in cities with a population of one million or more as of the latest federal decennial census and provides for a rotation of names in subsequent elections.

2025-S1649 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1649

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to primary election voting
ballots in the city of New York

 
PURPOSE:

To require the rotation of ballot order by election district so that
each name shall appear first and in each other position in an equal
manner in primary elections in the city of New York.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends the election law to rotate ballot order by
election district so that each name shall appear first and in each other
position in an equal number.

Section 2 of the bill provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Rotating ballot order by election district ensures fairness and equality
in the democratic process by mitigating bias and unfair advantages for
candidates positioned at the top of the ballot.  Studies have shown that
this phenomenon, known as the "primacy effect," can disproportionately
influence voter behavior, particularly in primary elections as well as
down ballot races. By systematically rotating ballot order so that each
candidate appears in every position an equal number of times across
election districts, this legislation aims to eliminate any unearned
advantage and ensure that elections reflect the true will of the voters.

Confidence in the fairness of elections is essential to maintaining
public trust in democratic institutions. When ballot order is fixed or
determined randomly, it can lead to perceptions of favoritism or unfair-
ness, particularly if the same candidate consistently benefits from the
top position. Various studies, including those presented by Montclair
State University, have demonstrated that the first position on a ballot
receives a significant boost in votes. Specifically, these studies found
that candidates listed first receive more than 25% of the votes, indi-
cating a clear positional bias that undermines the fairness of the elec-
toral process.

This effect is particularly substantial for primary elections as being
listed first significantly increases vote shares for all candidates,
sometimes by a margin larger than the winner's margin of victory (Ho and
Imai, 2004). A simple randomized ballot order would provide equal oppor-
tunity to appear first, but would still provide an unearned advantage to
a single candidate. By rotating ballot order by election district, this
bias can be largely mitigated by ensuring each candidate appears first
an equal number of times.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law and shall apply to elections occurring on and after such
date.

2025-S1649 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1649
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  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 primary election voting
   ballots in the city of New York
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  7-116 of the election law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 6-a to read as follows:
   6-A.  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION  SIX  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  IN  THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE BALLOT ON THE VOTING MACHINE FOR
 PRIMARY ELECTIONS SHALL CONFORM TO THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS:
   THE NAMES OF THE CANDIDATES DESIGNATED FOR SUCH PUBLIC OFFICE OR PARTY
 POSITION IN THE PRIMARY OF A PARTY SHALL BE PLACED UNDER  THE  TITLE  OF
 THE  OFFICE  OR POSITION IN THE ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF THEIR SURNAMES, IN
 THE FIRST OR LOWEST NUMBERED ASSEMBLY DISTRICT AND ELECTION DISTRICT  OF
 ANY  POLITICAL  UNIT  OR  SUBDIVISION  WITHIN  A  COUNTY. IF CANDIDATES'
 SURNAMES ARE IDENTICAL, THEIR GIVEN OR FIRST NAME SHALL DETERMINE  THEIR
 ORDER.  THEREAFTER  THE  NAMES SHALL BE ROTATED BY ELECTION DISTRICTS BY
 TRANSPOSING THE FIRST NAMED CANDIDATE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ORDER AT EACH
 SUCCEEDING ELECTION DISTRICT, SO THAT EACH NAME SHALL APPEAR  FIRST  AND
 IN EACH OTHER POSITION IN AN EQUAL NUMBER, AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE, OF THE
 ELECTION  DISTRICTS  AND  EXCEPT, FURTHER, THAT WHERE TWO OR MORE CANDI-
 DATES ARE TO BE ELECTED TO THE SAME PARTY POSITION, THE NAMES OF  CANDI-
 DATES  FOR SUCH A POSITION WHICH APPEAR ON THE SAME DESIGNATING PETITION
 SHALL BE GROUPED TOGETHER ON THE BALLOT IN  THE  ORDER  IN  WHICH  THEIR
 NAMES APPEAR ON THE DESIGNATING PETITION AND THE GROUP ROTATED ALPHABET-
 ICALLY IN RELATION TO OTHER GROUPS OR INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO
 THE  SURNAME  OF  THE  FIRST  PERSON ON THE DESIGNATING PETITION OF SUCH
 GROUP. GROUPS OF CANDIDATES FOR DELEGATE  AND  ALTERNATE  DELEGATE,  AND
 GROUPS  OF  CANDIDATES  FOR MALE AND FEMALE DELEGATE AND MALE AND FEMALE
 ALTERNATE DELEGATE TO THE SAME CONVENTION DESIGNATED ON THE  SAME  PETI-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03269-01-5

 S. 1649                             2
 
 TION  SHALL  BE  ROTATED  TOGETHER  ALPHABETICALLY  IN RELATION TO OTHER
 GROUPS OR INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO THE SURNAME  OF  THE  FIRST
 PERSON  LISTED  ON  SUCH DESIGNATING PETITION IN THE GROUP OF CANDIDATES
 FOR  WHICHEVER  OF  SUCH  DELEGATE  OR ALTERNATE DELEGATE POSITIONS WILL
 APPEAR FIRST ON THE VOTING MACHINE. IF THE RULES OF  A  PARTY  COMMITTEE
 PROVIDE  FOR  EQUAL  REPRESENTATION  OF THE SEXES AMONG THE MEMBERS OF A
 STATE COMMITTEE ELECTED FROM EACH UNIT OF REPRESENTATION, ELECTIONS  FOR
 MALE AND FEMALE MEMBERS OF SUCH A COMMITTEE FROM A SINGLE UNIT OF REPRE-
 SENTATION  SHALL BE CONDUCTED AS ELECTIONS FOR TWO DIFFERENT PARTY POSI-
 TIONS.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH, IF  THE  BOARD
 OF  ELECTIONS  HAS  ASSIGNED  NUMBERS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR AN OFFICE OR
 POSITION BECAUSE OF IDENTICAL OR SIMILAR NAMES  AMONG  SUCH  CANDIDATES,
 THE  NAMES  OF  SUCH  CANDIDATES SHALL BE PLACED UNDER THE TITLE OF SUCH
 OFFICE OR POSITION IN THE ORDER OF SUCH NUMBERS IN SUCH FIRST OR  LOWEST
 NUMBERED  DISTRICT,  AND  THE  NAMES  SHALL  NOT  BE ROTATED BY ELECTION
 DISTRICT. SUCH NAMES SHALL APPEAR IN THE IDENTICAL ORDER ON EACH  BALLOT
 IN EACH ELECTION DISTRICT.
   COUNTY  COMMITTEE  CANDIDATES OR GROUPS OF CANDIDATES SHALL BE PRINTED
 WITHIN THE FIRST ELECTION DISTRICT OF EACH  ASSEMBLY  DISTRICT  OR  PART
 THEREOF,  ACCORDING  TO  THE PRIORITY OF FILING OF DESIGNATING PETITIONS
 AND THEY SHALL THEN BE ROTATED  BY  ELECTION  DISTRICT  BY  PLACING  THE
 CANDIDATE  OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES DESIGNATED IN THE SAME PETITION AS THE
 CANDIDATE OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES WHICH WAS PRINTED FIRST IN AN  ELECTION
 DISTRICT  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE ORDER IN THE NEXT SUCCEEDING ELECTION
 DISTRICT IN WHICH A CANDIDATE OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES DESIGNATED IN  SUCH
 PETITION APPEARS ON THE BALLOT.
   IN  CASES WHERE A NAME IS ADDED TO OR REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT BY COURT
 ORDER TOO LATE TO MAKE  A  COMPLETE  ADJUSTMENT  TO  THESE  REQUIREMENTS
 FEASIBLE,  THE NAME MAY BE ADDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF CANDIDATES
 IN ALL ELECTION DISTRICTS, OR REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT  IN  ALL  ELECTION
 DISTRICTS  WITHOUT CHANGING THE PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED ORDER OF OTHER NAMES
 AND WITHOUT INVALIDATING THE ELECTION.  ANY  INADVERTENT  ERROR  IN  THE
 ORDER  OF NAMES DISCOVERED TOO LATE TO CORRECT THE ORDER OF THE NAMES ON
 THE BALLOTS CONCERNED SHALL NOT INVALIDATE AN ELECTION.
   EXCEPT WHERE A CONTEST OR CANDIDATE IS  REMOVED  FROM  THE  BALLOT  BY
 COURT  ORDER  TOO  LATE  TO MAKE COMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PARAGRAPH
 FEASIBLE, THE TITLE OF EACH PUBLIC OFFICE  OR  PARTY  POSITION  AND  THE
 NAMES  OF  THE  CANDIDATES  FOR SUCH OFFICE OR POSITION APPEARING ON ANY
 VOTING MACHINE USED FOR PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK  SHALL
 APPEAR  ON  SUCH  MACHINE  IMMEDIATELY  ADJACENT  TO ONE ANOTHER, EITHER
 HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY; AND NO BLANK SPACES SHALL SEPARATE THE NAMES
 OF CANDIDATES ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE OR PARTY POSITION  ON  SUCH
 VOTING  MACHINE, AND NO BLANK SPACES SHALL SEPARATE ANY TWO SUCH OFFICES
 OR POSITIONS WHICH APPEAR ON SUCH VOTING MACHINE IN THE SAME  COLUMN  OR
 ROW.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law and shall apply to elections occurring  on  and  after
 such date.

2025-S1649A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§7-116 & 7-118, El L

2025-S1649A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1649A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1649A

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to primary election voting
ballots in cities with a population of one million or more as of the
latest federal decennial census

 
PURPOSE::

To require the rotation of ballot order by election district so that
each name shall appear first and in each other position in an equal
manner in primary elections in the city of New York.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::

Section 1 of the bill amends the election law to rotate ballot order by
election district so that each name shall appear first and in each other
position in an equal number.

Section 2 of the bill requires the board of elections in cities of a

population of one million or more to provide notice of sample ballot
availability to candidates no later than 15 days before the first day of
early voting in primary elections.

Section 3 of the bill provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION::

Rotating ballot order by election district ensures fairness and equality
in the democratic process by mitigating bias and unfair advantages for
candidates positioned at the top of the ballot.  Studies have shown that
this phenomenon, known as the "primacy effect," can disproportionately
influence voter behavior, particularly in primary elections as well as
down ballot races. By systematically rotating ballot order so that each
candidate appears in every position an equal number of times across
election districts, this legislation aims to eliminate any unearned
advantage and ensure that elections reflect the true will of the voters.

Confidence in the fairness of elections is essential to maintaining
public trust in democratic institutions. When ballot order is fixed or
determined randomly, it can lead to perceptions of favoritism or unfair-
ness, particularly if the same candidate consistently benefits from the
top position. Various studies, including those presented by Montclair
State University, have demonstrated that the first position on a ballot
receives a significant boost in votes. Specifically, these studies found
that candidates listed first receive more than 25% of the votes, indi-
cating a clear positional bias that undermines the fairness of the elec-
toral process.

This effect is particularly substantial for primary elections as being
listed first significantly increases vote shares for all candidates,
sometimes by a margin larger than the winner's margin of victory (Ho and
Imai, 2004). A simple randomized ballot order would provide equal oppor-
tunity to appear first, but would still provide an unearned advantage to
a single candidate. By rotating ballot order by election district, this
bias can be largely mitigated by ensuring each candidate appears first
an equal number of times.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::

None.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::

This is a new bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE::

This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law and shall apply to elections occurring on and after such
date.

2025-S1649A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1649--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  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 primary election voting
   ballots  in  cities with a population of one million or more as of the
   latest federal decennial census
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  7-116 of the election law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 6-a to read as follows:
   6-A.  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION  SIX  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  IN  CITIES  WITH A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE AS OF THE
 LATEST FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS, THE BALLOT ON THE  VOTING  MACHINE  FOR
 PRIMARY ELECTIONS SHALL CONFORM TO THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS:
   THE NAMES OF THE CANDIDATES DESIGNATED FOR SUCH PUBLIC OFFICE OR PARTY
 POSITION  IN  THE  PRIMARY OF A PARTY SHALL BE PLACED UNDER THE TITLE OF
 THE OFFICE OR POSITION IN THE ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF THEIR  SURNAMES,  IN
 THE  FIRST OR LOWEST NUMBERED ASSEMBLY DISTRICT AND ELECTION DISTRICT OF
 ANY POLITICAL UNIT  OR  SUBDIVISION  WITHIN  A  COUNTY.  IF  CANDIDATES'
 SURNAMES  ARE IDENTICAL, THEIR GIVEN OR FIRST NAME SHALL DETERMINE THEIR
 ORDER. THEREAFTER THE NAMES SHALL BE ROTATED BY  ELECTION  DISTRICTS  BY
 TRANSPOSING THE FIRST NAMED CANDIDATE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ORDER AT EACH
 SUCCEEDING  ELECTION  DISTRICT, SO THAT EACH NAME SHALL APPEAR FIRST AND
 IN EACH OTHER POSITION IN AN EQUAL NUMBER, AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE, OF THE
 ELECTION DISTRICTS AND EXCEPT, FURTHER, THAT WHERE TWO  OR  MORE  CANDI-
 DATES  ARE TO BE ELECTED TO THE SAME PARTY POSITION, THE NAMES OF CANDI-
 DATES FOR SUCH A POSITION WHICH APPEAR ON THE SAME DESIGNATING  PETITION
 SHALL  BE  GROUPED  TOGETHER  ON  THE BALLOT IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEIR
 NAMES APPEAR ON THE DESIGNATING PETITION AND THE GROUP ROTATED ALPHABET-
 ICALLY IN RELATION TO OTHER GROUPS OR INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03269-02-5

 S. 1649--A                          2
 
 THE SURNAME OF THE FIRST PERSON ON  THE  DESIGNATING  PETITION  OF  SUCH
 GROUP.  GROUPS  OF  CANDIDATES  FOR DELEGATE AND ALTERNATE DELEGATE, AND
 GROUPS OF CANDIDATES FOR MALE AND FEMALE DELEGATE AND  MALE  AND  FEMALE
 ALTERNATE  DELEGATE  TO THE SAME CONVENTION DESIGNATED ON THE SAME PETI-
 TION SHALL BE ROTATED  TOGETHER  ALPHABETICALLY  IN  RELATION  TO  OTHER
 GROUPS  OR  INDIVIDUAL  CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO THE SURNAME OF THE FIRST
 PERSON LISTED ON SUCH DESIGNATING PETITION IN THE  GROUP  OF  CANDIDATES
 FOR  WHICHEVER  OF  SUCH  DELEGATE  OR ALTERNATE DELEGATE POSITIONS WILL
 APPEAR FIRST ON THE VOTING MACHINE. IF THE RULES OF  A  PARTY  COMMITTEE
 PROVIDE  FOR  EQUAL  REPRESENTATION  OF THE SEXES AMONG THE MEMBERS OF A
 STATE COMMITTEE ELECTED FROM EACH UNIT OF REPRESENTATION, ELECTIONS  FOR
 MALE AND FEMALE MEMBERS OF SUCH A COMMITTEE FROM A SINGLE UNIT OF REPRE-
 SENTATION  SHALL BE CONDUCTED AS ELECTIONS FOR TWO DIFFERENT PARTY POSI-
 TIONS.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH, IF  THE  BOARD
 OF  ELECTIONS  HAS  ASSIGNED  NUMBERS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR AN OFFICE OR
 POSITION BECAUSE OF IDENTICAL OR SIMILAR NAMES  AMONG  SUCH  CANDIDATES,
 THE  NAMES  OF  SUCH  CANDIDATES SHALL BE PLACED UNDER THE TITLE OF SUCH
 OFFICE OR POSITION IN THE ORDER OF SUCH NUMBERS IN SUCH FIRST OR  LOWEST
 NUMBERED  DISTRICT,  AND  THE  NAMES  SHALL  NOT  BE ROTATED BY ELECTION
 DISTRICT. SUCH NAMES SHALL APPEAR IN THE IDENTICAL ORDER ON EACH  BALLOT
 IN EACH ELECTION DISTRICT.
   COUNTY  COMMITTEE  CANDIDATES OR GROUPS OF CANDIDATES SHALL BE PRINTED
 WITHIN THE FIRST ELECTION DISTRICT OF EACH  ASSEMBLY  DISTRICT  OR  PART
 THEREOF,  ACCORDING  TO  THE PRIORITY OF FILING OF DESIGNATING PETITIONS
 AND THEY SHALL THEN BE ROTATED  BY  ELECTION  DISTRICT  BY  PLACING  THE
 CANDIDATE  OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES DESIGNATED IN THE SAME PETITION AS THE
 CANDIDATE OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES WHICH WAS PRINTED FIRST IN AN  ELECTION
 DISTRICT  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE ORDER IN THE NEXT SUCCEEDING ELECTION
 DISTRICT IN WHICH A CANDIDATE OR GROUP OF CANDIDATES DESIGNATED IN  SUCH
 PETITION APPEARS ON THE BALLOT.
   IN  CASES WHERE A NAME IS ADDED TO OR REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT BY COURT
 ORDER TOO LATE TO MAKE  A  COMPLETE  ADJUSTMENT  TO  THESE  REQUIREMENTS
 FEASIBLE,  THE NAME MAY BE ADDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF CANDIDATES
 IN ALL ELECTION DISTRICTS, OR REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT  IN  ALL  ELECTION
 DISTRICTS  WITHOUT CHANGING THE PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED ORDER OF OTHER NAMES
 AND WITHOUT INVALIDATING THE ELECTION.  ANY  INADVERTENT  ERROR  IN  THE
 ORDER  OF NAMES DISCOVERED TOO LATE TO CORRECT THE ORDER OF THE NAMES ON
 THE BALLOTS CONCERNED SHALL NOT INVALIDATE AN ELECTION.
   EXCEPT WHERE A CONTEST OR CANDIDATE IS  REMOVED  FROM  THE  BALLOT  BY
 COURT  ORDER  TOO  LATE  TO MAKE COMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PARAGRAPH
 FEASIBLE, THE TITLE OF EACH PUBLIC OFFICE  OR  PARTY  POSITION  AND  THE
 NAMES  OF  THE  CANDIDATES  FOR SUCH OFFICE OR POSITION APPEARING ON ANY
 VOTING MACHINE USED FOR PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN CITIES WITH A POPULATION OF
 ONE MILLION OR MORE AS OF THE  LATEST  FEDERAL  DECENNIAL  CENSUS  SHALL
 APPEAR  ON  SUCH  MACHINE  IMMEDIATELY  ADJACENT  TO ONE ANOTHER, EITHER
 HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY; AND NO BLANK SPACES SHALL SEPARATE THE NAMES
 OF CANDIDATES ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE OR PARTY POSITION  ON  SUCH
 VOTING  MACHINE, AND NO BLANK SPACES SHALL SEPARATE ANY TWO SUCH OFFICES
 OR POSITIONS WHICH APPEAR ON SUCH VOTING MACHINE IN THE SAME  COLUMN  OR
 ROW.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 7-118 of the election law, as separately
 amended  by chapters 410 and 411 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read
 as follows:
   3. Sample ballots may be mailed by the  board  of  elections  to  each
 eligible voter at least three days before the election, or in lieu ther-
 eof,  a copy of such sample ballot may be published at least once within
 S. 1649--A                          3
 
 one week preceding the election in newspapers or on a website maintained
 by the board of elections.  IN CITIES WITH A POPULATION OF  ONE  MILLION
 OR  MORE  AS  OF  THE  LATEST  FEDERAL  DECENNIAL  CENSUS,  FOR  PRIMARY
 ELECTIONS,  THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL, NOT LATER THAN FIFTEEN DAYS
 PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING FOR SUCH PRIMARY ELECTION, NOTIFY
 EACH CANDIDATE FOR WHOM A DESIGNATION HAS BEEN FILED WITH SUCH BOARD FOR
 AN OFFICE OR POSITION TO BE VOTED ON AT SUCH PRIMARY, BY MAIL  OR  ELEC-
 TRONIC CORRESPONDENCE, OF THE AVAILABILITY ON THE BOARD'S WEBSITE OF ALL
 VERSIONS  OF  SAMPLE BALLOTS APPLICABLE TO THE OFFICE OR POSITION SOUGHT
 BY SUCH CANDIDATE. SUCH SAMPLE BALLOTS SHALL REFLECT THE ORDER OF  NAMES
 AS DETERMINED PURSUANT TO SECTION 7-116 OF THIS TITLE. THIS NOTIFICATION
 SHALL  ALSO STATE THAT A COMPLETE SET OF PRINTED SAMPLE BALLOTS REFLECT-
 ING ALL APPLICABLE VERSIONS FOR THAT CANDIDATE WILL BE PROVIDED  BY  THE
 BOARD  UPON  REQUEST.  THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL SUCH
 VERSIONS OF SAMPLE BALLOTS ARE ACCESSIBLE ON ITS  WEBSITE.  Each  county
 board  of  elections  shall  transmit  electronically  in a format to be
 determined by the state board of elections, as it is available,  a  copy
 of the candidate and contest information contained on each of its ballot
 styles  to  the state board of elections. The state board shall create a
 system to allow such information to be made publicly available  via  its
 website, as well as the website of any county board of elections, and in
 such a way as to be accessible with a computer screen-reading program.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law and shall apply to elections occurring  on  and  after
 such date.

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