S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7369
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
             CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
 
 proposing amendments to section 21 of article 6, article 13, and section
   6  of  article 4 of the constitution, in relation to requiring certain
   elections be held in even-numbered years at the general election
 
   Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 21 of article
 6 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
   § 21. a. When a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by  expiration  of
 term,  in  the  office  of justice of the supreme court, of judge of the
 county court, of judge of the surrogate's court or judge of  the  family
 court  outside the city of New York, it shall be filled for [a full] THE
 REMAINDER OF THE term at the next general election OCCURRING IN AN EVEN-
 NUMBERED YEAR held not less than three months after such vacancy  occurs
 and,  until the vacancy shall be so filled, the governor by and with the
 advice and consent of the senate, if the senate shall be in session, or,
 if the senate not be in session, the governor may fill such  vacancy  by
 an  appointment which shall continue until and including the last day of
 December next after the election at which the vacancy shall be filled.
   b. When a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by expiration  of  term,
 in  the  office  of judge of the court of claims, it shall be filled for
 the unexpired term in the same manner as an original appointment.
   c. When a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by expiration  of  term,
 in the office of judge elected to the city-wide court of civil jurisdic-
 tion  of  the  city  of  New  York,  it shall be filled for [a full] THE
 REMAINDER OF THE term at the next general election OCCURRING IN AN EVEN-
 NUMBERED YEAR held not less than three months after such vacancy  occurs
 and,  until the vacancy shall be so filled, the mayor of the city of New
 York may fill such vacancy by an appointment which shall continue  until
 and  including the last day of December next after the election at which
 the vacancy shall be filled. When a vacancy shall occur, otherwise  than
 by  expiration  of  term on the last day of December of any year, in the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD89016-01-5
 A. 7369                             2
 
 office of judge appointed to the family court within  the  city  of  New
 York  or the city-wide court of criminal jurisdiction of the city of New
 York, the mayor of the city of New York shall fill such  vacancy  by  an
 appointment for the unexpired term.
   d.  When  a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by expiration of term,
 in the office of judge of the district court, it shall be filled for  [a
 full]  THE  REMAINDER OF THE term at the next general election OCCURRING
 IN AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR held not less  than  three  months  after  such
 vacancy  occurs  and, until the vacancy shall be so filled, the board of
 supervisors or the supervisor or supervisors of the affected district if
 such district consists of a portion of a county or, in counties with  an
 elected  county  executive  officer,  such county executive officer may,
 subject to confirmation by the board of supervisors or the supervisor or
 supervisors of such district, fill such vacancy by an appointment  which
 shall  continue  until and including the last day of December next after
 the election at which the vacancy shall be filled.
   § 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That article 13 of the constitu-
 tion be amended by adding two new sections 9 and 10 to read as follows:
   § 9. ALL ELECTIONS OF JUDICIAL OFFICERS, OTHER THAN  VILLAGE  JUDICIAL
 OFFICERS,  SHALL BE ELECTED AT THE ELECTION HELD ON THE TUESDAY SUCCEED-
 ING THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER IN AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR, AND THE  TERM
 OF EVERY SUCH OFFICER SHALL EXPIRE AT THE END OF AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR.
   §  10.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS CONSTITUTION, THE
 LEGISLATURE MAY ENACT LAWS WHICH PROVIDE FOR THE ELECTION OF AN ELECTIVE
 OFFICER OF THE STATE OR ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE  TO  TAKE
 PLACE  ON THE TUESDAY SUCCEEDING THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER IN AN ODD-
 NUMBERED YEAR FOR A TERM WHICH WILL CAUSE SUCH OFFICER'S TERM TO  EXPIRE
 AT THE END OF AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR.
   §  3. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 8 of article 13 of
 the constitution be amended to read as follows:
   § 8. All elections of city officers, including supervisors, elected in
 any city or part of a city, and of county officers elected in any county
 wholly included in a city, except to fill vacancies, shall  be  held  on
 the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November in an [odd-numbered]
 EVEN-NUMBERED year, and the term of every such OFFICIAL OR officer shall
 expire at the end of an [odd-numbered] EVEN-NUMBERED year. [This section
 shall not apply to elections of any judicial officer.]
   §  4. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 3 of article 13 of
 the constitution be amended to read as follows:
   § 3. The legislature shall provide for filling  vacancies  in  office,
 and  in case of elective officers, no person appointed to fill a vacancy
 shall hold [his or her] THEIR office by virtue of such appointment long-
 er than the commencement of the political year next succeeding the first
 annual election IN AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR  after  the  happening  of  the
 vacancy; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, IN THE CASE OF A SIMULTANEOUS VACANCY IN THE
 OFFICES  OF  GOVERNOR  AND  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR,  SUCH OFFICERS SHALL BE
 ELECTED AS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION SIX OF ARTICLE FOUR OF THIS  CONSTITU-
 TION;  AND  provided  FURTHER,  however,  that nothing contained in this
 article shall prohibit the filling of vacancies on boards of  education,
 including  boards of education of community districts in the city school
 district of the city of New York, by appointment until the next  regular
 school  district  election, whether or not such appointment shall extend
 beyond the thirty-first day of December in any year.
   § 5. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 6 of article  4  of
 the constitution be amended to read as follows:
 A. 7369                             3
 
   §  6. The lieutenant-governor shall possess the same qualifications of
 eligibility for office as the governor. The lieutenant-governor shall be
 the president of the senate but shall have only a casting vote  therein.
 The lieutenant-governor shall receive for [his or her] THEIR services an
 annual  salary  to be fixed by joint resolution of the senate and assem-
 bly.
   In case of vacancy in the offices of both governor and lieutenant-gov-
 ernor, a governor and  lieutenant-governor  shall  be  elected  for  the
 remainder  of  the  term  [at  the next general election] ON THE TUESDAY
 SUCCEEDING THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER happening not  less  than  three
 months  after  both  offices  shall have become vacant. No election of a
 lieutenant-governor shall be had in any event  except  at  the  time  of
 electing a governor.
   In case of vacancy in the offices of both governor and lieutenant-gov-
 ernor  or  if  both of them shall be impeached, absent from the state or
 otherwise unable to discharge the powers and duties  of  the  office  of
 governor,  the  temporary  president of the senate shall act as governor
 until the inability shall cease or until a governor shall be elected.
   In case of vacancy in the office of lieutenant-governor alone,  or  if
 the  lieutenant-governor  shall  be  impeached, absent from the state or
 otherwise unable to discharge the duties of office, the temporary presi-
 dent of the senate shall perform all the duties  of  lieutenant-governor
 during such vacancy or inability.
   If,  when  the  duty of acting as governor devolves upon the temporary
 president of the senate, there be a vacancy in such office or the tempo-
 rary president of the senate shall be absent from the state or otherwise
 unable to discharge the duties of governor, the speaker of the  assembly
 shall act as governor during such vacancy or inability.
   The  legislature  may provide for the devolution of the duty of acting
 as governor in any case not provided for in this article.
   § 6. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That subdivision (a) of  section
 13 of article 13 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
   (a)  Except  in counties in the city of New York and except as author-
 ized in section one of article nine of this constitution,  registers  in
 counties having registers shall be chosen by the electors of the respec-
 tive  counties once in every [three] FOUR years IN AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR
 and whenever the occurring of vacancies shall require; the  sheriff  and
 the  clerk  of each county shall be chosen by the electors once in every
 [three or] four years IN AN EVEN-NUMBERED YEAR as the legislature  shall
 direct.  Sheriffs  shall  hold no other office.  They may be required by
 law to renew their security, from time to time; and in default of giving
 such new security, their offices shall be deemed  vacant.  The  governor
 may  remove  any  elective  sheriff,  county clerk, district attorney or
 register within the term for which [he or  she]  THEY  shall  have  been
 elected;  but  before so doing the governor shall give to such officer a
 copy of the charges against him or her and an opportunity of being heard
 in his or her defense. In each  county  a  district  attorney  shall  be
 chosen  by  the electors once in every [three or] four years IN AN EVEN-
 NUMBERED YEAR as the legislature shall direct. The clerk of each  county
 in  the  city of New York shall be appointed, and be subject to removal,
 by the appellate division of the supreme court in the  judicial  depart-
 ment  in  which the county is located. In addition to [his or her] THEIR
 powers and duties as clerk of the supreme court, [he or she] THEY  shall
 have power to select, draw, summon and empanel grand and petit jurors in
 the  manner and under the conditions now or hereafter prescribed by law,
 A. 7369                             4
 
 and shall have such other powers and duties as shall  be  prescribed  by
 the city from time to time by local law.
   § 7. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing amendments be
 referred  to  the  first regular legislative session convening after the
 next succeeding general election of members of  the  assembly,  and,  in
 conformity  with  section  1  of  article  19  of  the  constitution, be
 published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.