What's happening
This bill prohibits election commissioners and their deputies from holding other public offices or party chair positions, with exceptions for current officeholders.
Why it matters
Aims to prevent conflicts of interest. by ensuring that election commissioners and their deputies are not simultaneously serving as party chairs or holding other public offices (except notary public, commissioner of deeds, NYC community board member, or school trustee/officer outside cities), thereby strengthening impartiality in election administration.
Closes previous loopholes. that allowed election officials to also serve as party chairs or in certain elected positions (such as village officer or city/town justice), reducing the risk of partisan influence over election processes.
Includes a grandfather clause. that exempts current officeholders from the new restrictions regarding party chair positions, which may preserve some existing relationships but ensures that future appointments will adhere to stricter standards.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Double-Duty Election Officials
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Bar Officials From Dual Roles
In Senate Committee · Elections · Sponsor Martin Malavé Dilan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1989
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting election commissioners and deputy elections commissioners from holding a publicly elected office
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 3-200 of the election law, as amended by chapter 195 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
4. No person [shall be] appointed as election commissioner or deputy election commissioner shall continue to hold office who is not a registered voter in the county and not an enrolled member of the party recommending his or her appointment, or who is the chair of the respective democratic or republican party or committee in such county or who holds any other public office, except that of commissioner of deeds, notary public, [village officer, city or town justice,] member of a community board within the city of New York or trustee or officer of a school district outside of a city; provided, however, that the provision of this subdivision prohibiting an election commissioner or deputy election commissioner from continuing to hold office who is the chair of the respective democratic or republican party or committee in such county shall not apply to any person currently serving as election commissioner or deputy election commissioner.
§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 3-200 of the election law is amended to read as follows:
6. An election commissioner or deputy election commissioner shall not be a candidate for any elective office which he or she would not be entitled to hold under the provisions of this article, unless he or she has ceased by resignation or otherwise, to be commissioner or deputy commissioner prior to his or her nomination or designation therefor. Otherwise such nomination or designation shall be null and void.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03386-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.