What's happening
This bill allows county committees to designate party candidates for county offices by majority vote if party rules allow.
Why it matters
Strengthens local party control. By allowing county committees to designate candidates, the bill gives county-level party organizations more direct influence over who represents their party in county-wide elections, potentially leading to more unified and strategically chosen candidates.
Weighted voting reflects local party strength. The voting power of each county committee member is based on the party's previous gubernatorial vote totals in their area, which means candidate selection can be more proportionate to actual party support across different districts.
Still allows grassroots candidate challenges. Even with committee designations, enrolled party members can still use the petition process to propose alternative candidates, preserving opportunities for broader participation and outsider challenges.
Aims for transparency and structure. The bill sets clear timelines for when committees must meet and file designations, and requires documentation of selections and the rules used for filling vacancies, which could help ensure accountability and minimize confusion or disputes within the party.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Parties Pick Nominees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Held for consideration in election law
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5482
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BRABENEC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to party nominations for candidates for county office
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 6-109 to read as follows:
§ 6-109. Party nominations; counties. 1. Party designation of a candidate for nomination for any office to be filled by the voters of the entire county shall be made by the county committee, if the party rules of such county so provide.
2. The county committee shall make such designation by majority vote. The person receiving the majority vote shall be the party's designated candidate for nomination. Upon the vote for such designation, each member of the county committee shall be entitled to cast a number of votes which shall be in accordance with the ratio which the number of votes for the party candidate for governor on the line or column of the party at the last preceding general state election in the unit of representation such member represents bears to the total vote cast on such line or column at such election for such candidate for governor in the entire county. The apportionment of such votes as so prescribed shall be determined by the rules of the party.
3. Enrolled members of the party may make other designations by petition for a member of the same party.
4. The meeting of the county committee for the purpose of designating candidates shall be held not earlier than twenty-one days before the first day to sign designating petitions and not later than the first day to sign designating petitions for the primary election.
5. Within four days after such meeting, the county committee shall file with the county board of elections:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09141-01-9
A. 5482 2
(a) the names of the persons who have received the designation of the county committee and the offices for which designated; and
(b) the names of the persons selected by the committee to fill vacancies or a certified copy of the party rule empowering such committee to fill vacancies.
6. No person may be designated by a county committee for more than one office pursuant to the provisions of this section.
7. Party designation of a candidate for any office contained within a county shall be designated by the county committee members representing the political subdivision of such office, if the party rules of such county so provide.
8. A candidate for office from a district which crosses county lines shall be designated by the county committee members from such district if the rules of the county committees of each such county shall all so provide.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all applicable elections held on or after such date.
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.