NY State Senate Bill 2017-S1234

Senate Bill S1234

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Makes provisions relating to the joint nomination of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to elections
Jan 06, 2017	referred to elections

co-Sponsors

2017-S1234 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2171
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§6-104 & 7-114, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S3259, A2848
2011-2012: S3513, A3134
2013-2014: S2403, A2052
2015-2016: S2717, A4478
2019-2020: S2013, A3596
2021-2022: S3819, A4766
2023-2024: S1513, A4304

2017-S1234 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Makes provisions relating to the joint nomination of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor; provides candidates be designated jointly either by the state committee or by petition; provides said petition will be valid only if it jointly designates both candidates.

2017-S1234 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S1234

 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
candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor. The
bill provides that candidates for governor and lieutenant Governor be
designated 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
designated jointly either by the State Committee or by petition. A
designating petition will be valid only if it jointly designates both
candidates.

§ 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
prospect 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
governor would cement the executive team concept and ensure a fuller
executive utilization of the Lieutenant Governor.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: :

2015-16 - S. 2717/A. 4478 - Elections Committee.
2013-14 - S. 2403/A. 2052 - Elections Committee.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: :

None.
 EFFECTIVE DATE: :

Immediate.

2017-S1234 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1234
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  GRIFFO,  LARKIN,  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 ASSEM-
 BLY, 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 GOVER-
 NOR 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 nomi-
 nation.  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  peti-
 tion  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:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05235-01-7

 S. 1234                             2
 
   (E)  WITH  RESPECT TO CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICES OF GOVERNOR AND LIEU-
 TENANT GOVERNOR, BALLOTS SHALL BE PRINTED SO THAT THE  NAMES  OF  CANDI-
 DATES  FOR  BOTH OFFICES WHO WERE DESIGNATED JOINTLY SHALL APPEAR IN THE
 SAME ROW OR COLUMN, WITH THE NAME OF THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR  APPEAR-
 ING  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.

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Senate Bill S1234

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Sponsored By

Joseph A. Griffo