What's happening
This bill increases the maximum size of election districts and allows more flexibility in the number of county committee members.
Why it matters
Larger Election Districts Could Change Voting Logistics. By allowing districts to contain up to 2,000 registrants (with county board approval), polling places may become busier, potentially affecting wait times, resource allocation, and accessibility for voters.
Greater Local Control Over Political Committees. The amendment removes the cap on “additional” county committee members per election district, letting local party rules determine committee size. This could reshape party dynamics, influence, and representation at the local level.
Impacts on Grassroots Participation and Representation. Flexibility in committee sizes might make it easier for parties to adapt to demographic shifts or encourage more grassroots involvement, but could also allow for consolidation of power if not managed transparently.
Potential for Cost Savings or Increased Efficiency. Larger election districts may reduce the total number of polling sites or election workers needed, possibly lowering administrative costs, but could also concentrate responsibilities and logistical challenges.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Larger Election Districts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.231
- Rules report cal.231
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- 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.
Increase Election District Size
In Senate Committee · Elections · Sponsor Fredrick J. Akshar II
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6093
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to increasing the number of registrants an election district may contain with the approval of the county board of elections; authorizes increase of county committee
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 4-100 of the election law, as amended by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
a. Each election district shall be in compact form and may not be partly within and partly without a ward, town, city, a village which has five thousand or more inhabitants and is wholly within one town, or a county legislative, assembly, senatorial or congressional district. Except as provided in paragraph b of this subdivision, election district boundaries, other than those boundaries which are coterminous with the boundaries of those political subdivisions mentioned in this paragraph, must be streets, rivers, railroad lines or other permanent characteristics of the landscape which are clearly visible to any person without the need to use any technical or mechanical device. An election district shall contain not more than nine hundred fifty registrants (excluding registrants in inactive status) or, with the approval of the county board of elections, not more than [eleven hundred fifty] two thousand registrants (excluding registrants in inactive status), but any election district may be divided for the convenience of the voters.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 2-104 of the election law, as amended by chapter 659 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
1. The county committee of each party shall be constituted by the election in each election district within such county of at least two members and of such additional members[, not in excess of two,] as the rules of the county committee of the party within the county or the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05564-01-9
A. 6093 2
statement filed pursuant hereto may provide for such district, proportional to the party vote in the district for governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election, or in case the boundaries of such district have been changed or a new district has been created since the last preceding gubernatorial election, proportional to the party vote cast for member of assembly or in the event there was no election for member of assembly, then proportional to the number of enrolled voters of such party in such district on the list of enrolled voters last published by the board of elections, excluding voters in inactive status. In a county in which no additional members are provided for by the rules of the county committee or the statement filed pursuant hereto the voting power of each member shall be in proportion to such party vote or, if the election district which such member represents was created or changed since the last election for member of assembly, proportional to such party enrollment. In a county in which additional members are so provided for, on the basis of the party vote or enrollment in election districts within such county, each member shall have one vote. Each member of a county committee shall be an enrolled voter of the party residing in the county and the assembly district from which or in the assembly district containing the election district in which such member is elected except that a member of a county committee who, as a result of an alteration of assembly district lines, no longer resides within such assembly district may continue to serve for the balance of the term to which he was elected.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.