What's happening
This bill allows party nominations and designations to be made via video teleconference with notice, until December 31, 2020.
Why it matters
Enables political parties to adapt to emergencies (like the COVID-19 pandemic). by allowing official party decisions—such as nominating candidates—to occur via video teleconference, ensuring the nomination process can continue even if in-person meetings are unsafe or impractical.
Expands flexibility for participation. by allowing notice of teleconference meetings to be sent through multiple methods (mail, email, text, or phone), which can help ensure all committee members are informed and able to participate, potentially increasing accessibility and transparency.
Modernizes administrative procedures. by permitting remote execution of documents and remote notarization (as authorized by executive order), reducing logistical barriers for certifying nominations and accepting designations, and helping maintain timelines for elections.
Limits changes to a temporary window (until December 31, 2020),. meaning the bill is designed as a short-term solution for extraordinary circumstances, not a permanent change to election law—this underscores the legislature’s intent to address immediate disruptions while retaining traditional processes for the future.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Virtual Party Nominations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- Approval memo.6
- Signed chap.142
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.341
- Substituted for A10733A
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–1
- Ordered to third reading cal.968
- Reported and committed to rules
Show 4 earlier actions
- Print number 8796a
- Amend (t) and recommit to elections
- Committee discharged and committed to elections
- Referred to rules
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.
Allow Virtual Party Nominations
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8796--A
IN SENATE
July 16, 2020
Introduced by Sens. STAVISKY, LIU -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee discharged and said bill committed to the Committee on Elections -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to allowing certain party designations and nominations to be made via video teleconference upon notice to the members of the respective committee; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 6-100 of the election law is amended to read as follows:
§ 6-100. Nominations and designations; generally. 1. Nomination and designation of candidates for election to public office or party position are governed by this article.
2. All party designations and nominations, except for a primary election, may be made via video teleconference upon notice to the members of the respective committee by mail, email, text or telephone call at least twelve hours before such meeting. Certificates of designation or nomination, minutes, authorizations and/or acceptances may be executed in separate acts by the signatories thereto and where acknowledgements or oaths are required, they may be performed or administered remotely and pursuant to executive order 202.7 allowing notarizations to be performed using communication technology.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed on December 31, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16776-02-0
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 allowing certain party designations and nominations to be made via video teleconference upon notice to the members of the respective committee; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to allow for nominations and designations through virtual meetings via video teleconference.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Section 6-100 of the election law is amended to read as follows:
§ 6-100. Nominations and designations; generally. 1. Nomination and designation of candidates for election to public office or party posi- tion are governed by this article.
2. All party designations and nominations, except for a primary election, may be made via video teleconference upon notice to the members of the respective committee by mail, email, text or telephone call at least twelve hours before such meeting. Certificates of desig- nation or nomination, minutes, authorizations and/or acceptances may be executed in separate acts by the signatories thereto and where acknowl- edgements or oaths are required, they may be performed or administered remotely and pursuant to executive order 202.7 allowing notarizations to be performed using communication technology.
Justification
Under the current election law, nomination and designations are not allowed to hold meetings via video teleconference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic people are not able to gather in large groups until the gover- nor has authorized it is safe to do so.
Prior legislative history
None
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed on December 31, 2020.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.