What's happening
This bill requires candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in New York to be nominated and appear on ballots jointly as a single ticket.
Why it matters
Ensures the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a unified team. , reducing the likelihood of conflicting agendas or political infighting between the two highest state executive offices.
Shifts decision-making power to party committees and voters. , requiring both offices to be nominated together and appear as a single entry on the ballot, which could increase party cohesion and strategic alignment.
Prevents split-ticket nominations through petitions. , making it impossible for candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run independently in primaries, thereby centralizing control over ticket composition within parties.
May impact voter choice and campaign dynamics. by focusing attention on ticket-wide platforms rather than individual candidacies, potentially affecting how candidates are vetted, selected, and held accountable by voters.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Joint Governor Ticket Required
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
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.
Joint Governor Ticket Required
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor Robin Schimminger
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2013
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2019
Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the joint nomination of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2 and 5 of section 6-104 of the election law are amended to read as follows:
1. Party designation of a candidate for nomination for any office to be filled by the voters of the entire state shall be made by the state committee. Candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor shall be designated jointly by a single vote of such committee.
2. The state committee shall make a decision by majority vote. The person or persons receiving the majority vote shall be the party's designated candidate or pair of candidates for nomination, and all other persons or pairs of persons who shall have received twenty-five percent or more of the vote cast on any ballot shall have the right to make written demand, duly acknowledged, to the state board of elections that their names appear on the primary ballot as candidates for such nomination. Such demand shall be made not later than seven days after such meeting and may be withdrawn in the same manner within fourteen days after such meeting.
5. Enrolled members of the party may make other designations by petition for [a member] members of the same party. A petition designating a candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor shall be valid only if such petition jointly designates candidates for both such offices on such petition.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 7-114 of the election law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
(e) With respect to candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, ballots shall be printed so that the names of candi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03905-01-9
S. 2013 2
dates for both offices who were designated jointly shall appear in the same row or column, with the name of the candidate for governor appearing first and the ballot shall be so adjusted that both offices are voted for jointly and have but one designating letter or number.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to the joint nomination of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor
Purpose
This bill makes provisions relating to the joint nomination of candi- dates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor. The bill provides that candidates for governor and lieutenant Governor be desig- nated jointly and run together as a slate in the event of a primary election, as is currently provided for in the general election.
Summary of provisions
§ 1 - Amends subdivisions 1, 2 and 5 of § 6-104 of the Election Law to provide that candidates for governor and lieutenant governor be desig- nated jointly either by the State Committee or by petition. A designat- ing petition will be valid only if it jointly designates both candi- dates.
§ 2 - Amends subdivision 1 of § 7-114 of the Election Law by adding a new paragraph (e) to reflect that primary ballots shall be printed with the jointly designated candidates for governor and lieutenant governor appearing together on the same row or column and the ballot machines adjusted so that both offices are voted for jointly.
§ 3 - Effective date.
Justification
In 1953, the State Constitution was amended to provide for the joint election of the governor and lieutenant governor, thereby ensuring that both elected officials represented the same political party. However, no statutory amendments were ever made to implement joint nomination which would have assured at least some degree of personal compatibility, and more effective executive use of the lieutenant governor. Subsequent amendments were made to the Election Law that further eroded the impact of joint election by allowing individual primary challenges for all statewide offices.
The present statutory scheme presents the State with the prospect of incompatible candidates running together in the general election and serving in office. Moreover, recent history demonstrates that this pros- pect is more than a theoretical possibility.
New York State government should not be forced to operate with a second-in-command who is not a full working partner on the executive team. A lieutenant governor can and should play key roles as liaison with those outside the administration, and as a knowledgeable policy advisor and manager inside the administration.
Providing for the joint nomination of the governor and lieutenant gover- nor would cement the executive team concept and ensure a fuller execu- tive utilization of the Lieutenant Governor.
Legislative history
2017-18 - S. 1234/A.2171- Elections Committee. 2015-16 - S. 2717/A.4478- Elections Committee. 2013-14 - S. 2403/A.2052- Elections Committee.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.