What's happening
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to elect New York’s governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, and attorney general using an electoral college system based on county representation and population.
Why it matters
Shifts Political Influence. By assigning each county at least one electoral vote plus more based on population, this system would increase the influence of less-populated counties in statewide elections, potentially reducing the dominance of highly populated urban areas like New York City.
Alters Statewide Campaign Strategies. Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, and attorney general would need to appeal to a broader geographic cross-section of the state, not just focus on population centers, fundamentally changing how campaigns are run and who they prioritize.
Increases Complexity and Uncertainty. Introducing an electoral college with the possibility of up to ten repeat elections if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes could delay results, create confusion, and open the door to political maneuvering or prolonged vacancies.
Sets a Precedent for Other States. If adopted, New York would be the only state to elect top officials using a county-based electoral college, potentially inspiring similar changes elsewhere and sparking national debate about representation and voting systems.
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
Create NY Electoral College
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to election law
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to election law
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6323
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 5, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BRABENEC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to article 4 and article 5 of the constitution, in relation to establishing an electoral college system for electing the governor, lieutenant-governor, comptroller and attorney general
Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 1 of article 4 of the constitution be amended and a new section 1-a is added to read as follows:
Section 1. (a) The executive power shall be vested in the governor, who shall hold office for four years; the lieutenant-governor shall be chosen at the same time, and for the same term. The governor and lieutenant-governor shall be chosen at the general election held in the year nineteen hundred thirty-eight, and each fourth year thereafter. They shall be chosen jointly, by the casting by each voter of a single vote applicable to both offices, and the legislature by law shall provide for making such choice in such manner. The respective persons having the [highest number] majority of electoral votes cast jointly for them for governor and lieutenant-governor respectively shall be elected.
(b) In the event a majority of electoral votes are not for a single person for the governor or lieutenant-governor, another election shall be held until a person receives a majority of electoral votes or ten elections have occurred, whichever comes first. If no one has achieved a majority of electoral votes after ten elections, the respective person having the highest number of votes cast jointly for them for governor or lieutenant-governor respectively shall be elected.
§ 1-a. (a) Electoral votes for the governor and lieutenant-governor shall be distributed as follows:
(i) Each county within the state shall be assigned one electoral vote; and
(ii) Each county shall be assigned one additional electoral vote for each fifty thousand legal residents of the county.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89107-02-9
A. 6323 2
(b) Electoral votes shall be cast for the governor and lieutenant-governor on the first Friday in December in Albany by representatives from each county based on the respective persons having the largest number of votes cast jointly for them for governor and lieutenant-governor respectively from such county.
§ 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That article 5 of the constitution be amended by adding a new section 1-a to read as follows:
§ 1-a. (a) The comptroller and attorney general shall be chosen by the casting by each voter of a vote for each office. The respective persons having the majority of electoral votes cast for them for comptroller and attorney general respectively shall be elected.
(b) Electoral votes for the comptroller and attorney general shall be distributed as follows:
(i) Each county within the state shall be assigned one electoral vote; and
(iii) Each county shall be assigned one additional electoral vote for each fifty thousand legal residents of the county.
(c) Electoral votes shall be cast for the comptroller and attorney general on the first Friday in December in Albany by representatives from each county based on the respective persons having the largest number of votes cast for them for comptroller and attorney general respectively from such county.
(d) In the event a majority of electoral votes are not for a single person for the comptroller or attorney general, another election shall be held until a person receives a majority of electoral votes or ten elections have occurred, whichever comes first. If no one has achieved a majority of electoral votes after ten elections, the respective person having the highest number of votes cast for them for comptroller or attorney general respectively shall be elected.
§ 3. Resolved (if Senate the concur), That the foregoing amendment be referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the next succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.
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.