What's happening
This bill amends election law to clarify the order of candidate names on ballots for general and special elections.
Why it matters
Clarifies ballot design rules to prevent confusion or disputes. By explicitly specifying the order of candidate names for both general and special elections, this amendment aims to reduce ambiguity and potential challenges related to ballot layout, which can impact voter trust and election outcomes.
Reinforces party prominence based on past performance. The bill continues to prioritize parties based on their most recent gubernatorial election results, meaning parties with a stronger historical performance get more prominent placement, potentially influencing voter perception and candidate visibility.
Standardizes procedures across election types. Including special elections in the same rule as general elections ensures consistency in how ballots are structured, regardless of the type of election, which can simplify election administration and reduce errors.
May affect minor party and independent candidate exposure. By codifying that major parties appear first, the bill could make it more difficult for lesser-known candidates to gain attention, potentially affecting electoral competitiveness and voter choice.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Change Ballot Name Order
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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
722
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the order of names on ballots for special elections
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The section heading and subdivision 1 of section 7-116 of the election law are amended to read as follows:
Ballots; order of names on; general, primary, and special elections. 1. In printing the names of candidates on the ballot for a general or special election, the candidate or candidates of the party which polled for its candidate for the office of governor at the last preceding election for such office the highest number of votes, shall be row or column A or one and the candidates of the other parties shall be placed on such ballot in descending order of such votes.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02290-01-5
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.