Bill Text: NY S06990 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires that elections for municipal office in the city of New York shall use an "instant run-off" or "ranked choice" voting system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS [S06990 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S06990-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6990

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- 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  elections  in
          the city of New York; and to repeal subdivision 5 of section 3-705 and
          subdivision  6 of section 3-709 of the administrative code of the city
          of New York relating to certain run-off elections in the city  of  New
          York

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 6-162 of the election law, as  amended  by  chapter
     2  424 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 6-162. [Primary; New York City, run-off. 1. In the city of New York,
     4  when  no  candidate  for  the  office of mayor, public advocate or comp-
     5  troller receives forty percent or more of the votes cast by the  members
     6  of  a  political  party for such office in a city-wide primary election,
     7  the board of elections of such city  shall  conduct  a  run-off  primary
     8  election  between  the  two  candidates receiving the greatest number of
     9  votes for the same office.
    10    2. In any jurisdiction that authorizes  a  run-off  election  after  a
    11  primary  election,  if  one of the two candidates receiving the greatest
    12  number of votes for the same  office  files  with  the  local  board  of
    13  elections  a  certificate of withdrawal within three days following such
    14  primary election, the board shall accept and certify the withdrawal  and
    15  declare  the  remaining candidate the winner and no such run-off primary
    16  election shall be held. Such certificate of withdrawal shall be in affi-
    17  davit  or  affirmation  form  as  determined  by  the  state  board   of
    18  elections.]  Instant  run-off  voting  in  New  York city. Elections for
    19  municipal office in the city of New York shall use an "instant  run-off"
    20  or  "ranked choice" voting system, consistent with the provisions of the
    21  New York city charter and the administrative code of  the  city  of  New
    22  York.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09041-01-3
        S. 6990                             2

     1    §  2. Subdivision 5 of section 3-705 of the administrative code of the
     2  city of New York is REPEALED.
     3    §  3. Subdivision 6 of section 3-709 of the administrative code of the
     4  city of New York is REPEALED.
     5    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  all
     6  municipal  elections held in the city of New York on or after January 1,
     7  2024.