Elections Cybersecurity and Content Provenance Requirement Passes Elections Committee, among 11 Bills

New York, NY – On Thursday, February 26, the New York State Senate Committee on Elections, Chaired by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, passed a package of legislation addressing the need for secure and transparent elections. Later that evening, news broke about a draft executive order from the Trump Administration to take control over the democratic process ahead of the midterm elections. 

The draft executive order being circulated is rumored to give unilateral, and arguably unconstitutional, control over election infrastructure to Trump through a State of Emergency for national security reasons. Reports noted a ban on mail-in ballots and a mandate of voter ID being proposed. 

Across the country, and around the world, there has been a rise in political violence, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and increased distrust in democratic institutions. This is not the time to challenge constitutional law, and nationalize elections.

Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Free and fair elections don’t just happen, they require vigilance, modernization, and a commitment to meeting emerging threats head-on. As Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, I’m proud that we advanced a strong package of legislation that meets the moment, and addresses that as our democracy is operating in a digital world, and our safeguards must evolve accordingly.”

Thursday’s bill package included legislation to establish an election security navigator program (S8615) and a requirement of content provenance for all political communications (S7963). These bills were among the 11 that passed. 

This was the committee’s second meeting of the 2026 legislative session. Their first meeting featured the traditional first-day-of-session package to promote election integrity and bolster voter rights. 

S8615 (Gonzalez) would establish an election security navigator program within the New York State Board of Elections to provide technical assistance, training, and coordination for local boards of elections to prepare for and mitigate threats to election infrastructure. Across the country, poll workers, voters, and the very institution of democracy are under threat. This bill is a preemptive act to protect the integrity of the democratic process from threats like ransomware, cyberattacks, and foreign disinformation campaigns.

S7963 (Gonzalez) would require political communications like advertisements to disclose provenance data for all images, audio, or video used, ultimately making it clear if artificial intelligence (AI) was used in its development. The last few election cycles have tracked multiple instances of the use of AI generated political media, both as advertisements and as disinformation campaigns. The Election Content Accountability Act will encourage transparency in political campaigns, and prevent manipulation through deceptive or misleading AI-generated materials, ultimately fostering a more informed electorate.

Bills passed by the Elections Committee on February 26, recording available here:

• S8615, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to establishing the election security navigator program
• S7963, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring certain political communications to include provenance data for all audio, images, or video used in such communications; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon the expiration thereof
• S7962, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to candidate declination
• S417, Gianaris
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to the procedure for the recanvass of votes in election districts
• S88A, Gianaris
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to providing for automatic voter registration and preregistration for persons applying for certain department of motor vehicles documentation, and for Medicaid enrollees
• S5183, Jackson
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to including a statement on the envelopes of ballots for absentee voters and special presidential voters for signature affirmation
• S5142, Myrie
  • An act to amend the tax law, in relation to subtracting from the federal adjusted gross income any income earned by election inspectors, poll clerks, or election coordinators; and to amend the social services law, in relation to exempting income earned by election inspectors, poll clerks, or election coordinators from being included in the calculation of the amount of benefits under public assistance programs
• S4482, Mayer
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring that subpoenas relating to election matters be served with a separate informational sheet that summarizes why the subpoena has been issued
• SS2437A, Krueger 
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring disclosure of social media posts that are paid for by a campaign; and authorizes the state board of elections to promulgate certain regulations
• S559, Krueger
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to the compensation of election inspectors and coordinators
• S569, May
  • An act to amend the election law, in relation to authorizing county boards of elections to establish country-wide polling places