Senate Bill S3800

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Enacts the "NYC instant run-off voting act"; repealer

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last 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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2015-S3800 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §6-162, El L; rpld §3-705 sub 5, §3-709 sub 6, NYC Ad Cd
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2013-2014: S7033
2017-2018: S4110
2019-2020: S1447
2021-2022: S2625
2023-2024: S6990

2015-S3800 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "NYC instant run-off voting act"; requires an instant run-off in any municipal election in New York City; provides that if one candidate for any municipal office receives a majority of first preferences, such candidate is elected; provides, however, if no candidate is the first choice of at least half the voters, the instant run-off re-tabulation shall be performed and then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated

2015-S3800 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S3800 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3800

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 17, 2015
                               ___________

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  enacting  the  "NYC
  instant  run-off  voting  act"; 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:

  Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "NYC instant run-off voting act".
  S 2. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds  and  declares
that  the  run-off system of voting in primary elections for the offices
of mayor, comptroller and public advocate in New  York  city  is  unduly
expensive  and  generates  an unacceptably low turnout of voters.  Addi-
tionally, the absence of any run-off system at all for  the  offices  of
borough  president  and  council member has resulted in candidates being
elected with much less than a majority of the votes  cast,  and  signif-
icantly  dilutes minority voting power when multiple minority candidates
compete for the same office. In an "instant run-off" system, voters rank
candidates by order of preference, and if no candidate receives a major-
ity of first-place votes, the top two candidates have the votes of elim-
inated candidates redistributed to them in order of each voter's prefer-
ence. The candidate with the most votes after this "second round" is the
winner. An instant run-off voting system eliminates the need for a cost-
ly and sparsely attended second election, rewards candidates who broaden
their appeal as widely as possible, and promotes minority representation
by limiting the dilution of minority voting power when multiple minority
candidates are on the ballot for the same office.
  S 3. Section 6-162 of the election law, as amended by chapter  424  of
the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08803-01-5
              

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