NY State Senate Bill 2023-S304A

Senate Bill S304A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to the number of signatures needed for designating petitions in counties with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or fewer

download bill text pdf

Current 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
Mar 11, 2024	print number 304a
Mar 11, 2024	amend and recommit to elections
Jan 03, 2024	referred to elections
Jan 04, 2023	referred to elections

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2023-S304 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §6-136, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S7326
2021-2022: S1561

2023-S304 - Summary

Relates to the number of signatures needed for designating petitions in counties with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or fewer.

2023-S304 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S304

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to the number of signa-
tures needed for designating petitions in counties with a population of
two hundred fifty thousand or fewer

 
PURPOSE:

This bill reduces the number of designating petitions for a variety of
candidates for office in counties with two hundred fifty thousand people
or fewer

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds new subdivisions 5 and 6 to section 6-136 of the election law to
reduce the signature requirements for designations made by petition and
to require that such petitions must be signed by not less than three and
three-quarters per centum of the enrolled voters of the party residing
in political unit in which the office or position is to be voted for.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2019, after year of impasse, the legislature passed legislation
reunifying state, local, and federal (non-presidential) primary
elections. Legislation in 2019 temporarily reduced the number of signa-
tures required for designating petitions by 1/4 for candidates running
for office outside of New York City. This allowed candidates to organize
their campaigns, print their petitions, and begin collecting voters'
signatures after the change in the primary date.  This bill extends
those reductions permanently in all counties with fewer than two hundred
fifty thousand residents. In many rural parts of the state, the weather
through the petitioning date is still cold and snowy, making petitioning
challenging and ever dangerous. A permanent reduction is a reasonable
step to facilitate ballot access for rural New Yorkers.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

2021-2022 - S.1561 (May)

2019-2020 - S.7326 (May) / A.9703 (Jones)

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2023-S304 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    304
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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  number  of  signa-
   tures  needed  for designating petitions in counties with a population
   of two hundred fifty thousand or fewer
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 6-136 of the election law is amended by adding two
 new subdivisions 4 and 5 to read as follows:
   4. IN COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION OF  TWO  HUNDRED  FIFTY  THOUSAND  OR
 FEWER  AND  NOTWITHSTANDING  SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, FOR DESIG-
 NATIONS MADE BY PETITION, THE SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT  NUMBERS  STATED  IN
 PARAGRAPHS  (A)  THROUGH (L) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 REDUCED BY ONE-QUARTER, ROUNDED DOWN TO THE NEAREST WHOLE NUMBER.
   5. NOTWITHSTANDING SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS  SECTION,  FOR  DESIGNATING
 PETITIONS  FOR  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISIONS IN COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION OF
 TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND OR FEWER, EXCEPT FOR THE POSITION  OF  MEMBER
 OF  THE  WARD,  TOWN,  CITY  OR COUNTY COMMITTEE, SUCH PETITIONS MUST BE
 SIGNED BY NOT LESS THAN THREE AND THREE-QUARTERS PER CENTUM,  AS  DETER-
 MINED  BY  THE  PRECEDING ENROLLMENT, OF THE THEN ENROLLED VOTERS OF THE
 PARTY RESIDING WITHIN THE POLITICAL UNIT IN WHICH THE OFFICE OR POSITION
 IS TO BE VOTED FOR, EXCLUDING VOTERS IN INACTIVE STATUS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00440-01-3

co-Sponsors

2023-S304A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §6-136, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S7326
2021-2022: S1561

2023-S304A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the number of signatures needed for designating petitions in counties with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or fewer.

2023-S304A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S304A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to the number of signa-
tures needed for designating petitions in counties with a population of
two hundred fifty thousand or fewer

 
PURPOSE:

This bill reduces the number of designating petitions for a variety of
candidates for office in counties with two hundred fifty thousand people
or fewer

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds new subdivisions 5 and 6 to section 6-136 of the election law to
reduce the signature requirements for designations made by petition and
to require that such petitions must be signed by not less than three and
three-quarters per centum of the enrolled voters of the party residing
in political unit in which the office or position is to be voted for.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2019, after year of impasse, the legislature passed legislation
reunifying state, local, and federal (non-presidential) primary
elections. Legislation in 2019 temporarily reduced the number of signa-
tures required for designating petitions by 1/4 for candidates running
for office outside of New York City. This allowed candidates to organize
their campaigns, print their petitions, and begin collecting voters'
signatures after the change in the primary date.  This bill extends
those reductions permanently in all counties with fewer than two hundred
fifty thousand residents. In many rural parts of the state, the weather
through the petitioning date is still cold and snowy, making petitioning
challenging and ever dangerous. A permanent reduction is a reasonable
step to facilitate ballot access for rural New Yorkers.

The A-print adds language clarifying that this does not apply to state-
wide or congressional races.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022 - S.1561 (May)

2019-2020 - S.7326 (May) / A.9703 (Jones)

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2023-S304A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  304--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections  --  recommitted
   to the Committee on Elections in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
   --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
   and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the  number  of  signa-
   tures  needed  for designating petitions in counties with a population
   of two hundred fifty thousand or fewer
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 6-136 of the election law is amended by adding two
 new subdivisions 4 and 5 to read as follows:
   4. IN COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION OF  TWO  HUNDRED  FIFTY  THOUSAND  OR
 FEWER  AND  NOTWITHSTANDING  SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, FOR DESIG-
 NATIONS MADE BY PETITION, THE SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT  NUMBERS  STATED  IN
 PARAGRAPHS  (A)  THROUGH (L) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 REDUCED BY ONE-QUARTER,  ROUNDED  DOWN  TO  THE  NEAREST  WHOLE  NUMBER.
 PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT APPLY TO DESIGNATING
 PETITIONS FOR CONGRESSIONAL OR STATEWIDE OFFICES.
   5. NOTWITHSTANDING SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS  SECTION,  FOR  DESIGNATING
 PETITIONS  FOR  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISIONS IN COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION OF
 TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND OR FEWER, EXCEPT FOR THE POSITION  OF  MEMBER
 OF  THE  WARD,  TOWN,  CITY OR COUNTY COMMITTEE, SUCH PETITIONS SHALL BE
 SIGNED BY NOT LESS THAN THREE AND THREE-QUARTERS PER CENTUM,  AS  DETER-
 MINED  BY  THE  PRECEDING ENROLLMENT, OF THE THEN ENROLLED VOTERS OF THE
 PARTY RESIDING WITHIN THE POLITICAL UNIT IN WHICH THE OFFICE OR POSITION
 IS TO BE VOTED FOR,  EXCLUDING  VOTERS  IN  INACTIVE  STATUS.  PROVIDED,
 HOWEVER,  THAT THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT APPLY TO DESIGNATING PETITIONS
 FOR CONGRESSIONAL OR STATEWIDE OFFICES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00440-02-4

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