NY State Senate Bill 2023-S8224

Senate Bill S8224

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Changes party enrollment of voters where the enrolled party contained the word "Independence" or "Independent"

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 29, 2024	referred to election law delivered to assembly passed senate
May 22, 2024	advanced to third reading
May 21, 2024	2nd report cal.
May 20, 2024	1st report cal.1249
Jan 16, 2024	referred to elections

Votes

- May 29, 2024 - Floor Vote
  S8224
  
  42
  
  Aye
  
  19
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: May 29, 2024
      
      aye (42)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Felder
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Harckham
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rivera
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      Webb
      
      nay (19)
      
      Ashby
      
      Borrello
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Helming
      
      Lanza
      
      Mattera
      
      Murray
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rolison
      
      Stec
      
      Tedisco
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      excused (1)
      
      Walczyk
  May 20, 2024 - Elections Committee Vote
  S8224
  
  5
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Elections Committee Vote: May 20, 2024
      
      aye (5)
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Martinez
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      nay (2)
      
      Borrello
      
      Weber

2023-S8224 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9567
Current Committee:: Assembly Election Law
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add §5-312, El L

2023-S8224 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Changes party enrollment of voters where the enrolled party contained the word "Independence" or "Independent" to not being enrolled in any party.

2023-S8224 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8224

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to changing party enroll-
ment of voters where the enrolled party contained the word "Independ-
ence" or "Independent"

 
PURPOSE:

To automatically change the voter enrollment of individuals who are
currently enrolled in a political party that includes the words 'Inde-
pendence' or `Independent.' Said individuals will be unenrolled from any
political party.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the election law by adding section 5-312 which states
that any person enrolled in a party which includes the words 'Independ-
ence' or `Independent' shall have their voter enrollment changed so that
they are not enrolled in any party.

Section 2: Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Chapter 671 of 2022 prohibits a state party from using the word "Inde-
pendent" or "Independence" in its name. Evidence suggested that many
voters who were registered as members of the Independence Party did not
realize they were registered in the Party; they intended to register as
independent (i.e. unaffiliated) voters but were confused by the name of
the Independence Party.

This new bill will move all voters who remain enrolled in the now-de-
funct Independence Party or other defunct party with "Independent" or
"Independence" in its name to the unaffiliated/blank rolls.

It is important to note that unlike voters who remain registered in
parties such as the Libertarian party, Women's Equality Party, and
others that have lost ballot access, the Independence Party is unique
since it is now prohibited from regaining its ballot status, distin-
guishing it from other parties that still have the potential to restore
their ballot access.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S8224 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8224
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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 changing party  enroll-
   ment  of voters where the enrolled party contained the word "Independ-
   ence" or "Independent"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-312
 to read as follows:
   § 5-312. ENROLLMENT; UNENROLLMENT FROM  CERTAIN  PARTIES.  ANY  PERSON
 ENROLLED  IN  A  PARTY WHICH INCLUDES THE WORDS "INDEPENDENCE" OR "INDE-
 PENDENT" SHALL HAVE THEIR VOTER ENROLLMENT CHANGED SUCH  THAT  THEY  ARE
 NOT ENROLLED IN ANY PARTY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13579-01-3

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