What's happening
This bill prohibits election commissioners and their deputies from holding other public offices or being party chairs, with exceptions for current officeholders.
Why it matters
Reduces potential conflicts of interest. by ensuring that election commissioners and their deputies cannot simultaneously hold most other public offices or serve as county party chairs, helping to safeguard the impartial administration of elections.
Creates a clear separation between election officials and political party leadership,. aiming to increase public trust in the fairness and integrity of the electoral process, especially at the county level.
Grandfathers in current officeholders. who already serve as both election commissioners (or deputies) and party chairs, meaning the new restrictions only apply to future appointees and not those currently holding both positions.
Narrows previous exceptions. by removing allowances for village officers, city or town justices, and certain other local roles, tightening rules on what outside positions commissioners and deputies can hold, and reducing opportunities for overlapping duties that could influence election outcomes.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Bar Election Officials from Office
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
962
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI, ASHBY -- 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.
LBD04552-01-9
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.