NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6253

Senate Bill S6253

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires state and county boards of elections to post sample ballots online at least twelve days prior to the first day of early voting

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 07, 2025	referred to elections

2025-S6253 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6741
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §7-118, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7426, A4062

2025-S6253 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires state and county boards of elections to post sample ballots online at least twelve days prior to the first day of early voting; requires such ballots to be posted in a searchable database.

2025-S6253 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6253

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring state and
county boards of elections to post sample ballots

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to direct the board of elections to provide
a searchable database to allow voters to preview their sample ballot
before they cast their actual ballot.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends section 7-118 of the election law to require county
boards of elections to transmit a sample ballot for all election
districts within that county to the state board of elections.

Section 2: Amends section 7-118 of the election law to require the state
board of elections to post, at least 12 days prior to the first day of

early voting, a sample ballot for each election district in the state on
the board's website in a secure and searchable database.

Section 3: Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Exercising one's right to vote is a fundamental pillar of our democracy.
However, the process of voting can be overwhelming when many races for
various levels of government all appear on the same ballot. In order to
encourage informed voter participation and reduce down ballot dropoff,
this bill directs the board of elections to establish a searchable data-
base allowing voters to preview their ballot before they arrive at their
polling location. This will provide voters an additional opportunity to
research the candidates on their ballot and make an informed choice as
to who they would like to vote for.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

Senate

2023: S7426-A, Referred to Elections

2024: S7426-A, Passed Senate

Assembly

2023: A4062-A, Referred to election law

2024: A4062-A, Amend and recommit to election law

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S6253 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6253
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 7, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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  requiring  state  and
   county boards of elections to post sample ballots
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Subdivision 3 of section 7-118 of  the  election  law,  as
 separately  amended  by  chapters  410  and  411 of the laws of 2019, is
 amended to read as follows:
   3. Sample ballots may be mailed by the  board  of  elections  to  each
 eligible  voter  at  least  three  days before the [election, or in lieu
 thereof, a copy of such sample ballot may be  published  at  least  once
 within  one  week  preceding  the election in newspapers or on a website
 maintained by the board of elections] FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING.    Each
 county  board  of elections shall transmit electronically in a format to
 be determined by the state board of elections, as  it  is  available,  a
 copy  [of the candidate and contest information contained on each of its
 ballot styles] OF A SAMPLE BALLOT FOR ALL ELECTION DISTRICTS WITHIN THAT
 COUNTY to the state board of elections. [The state board shall create  a
 system  to  allow such information to be made publicly available via its
 website, as well as the website of any county board of elections, and in
 such a way as to be accessible with a computer screen-reading program.]
   § 2. Section 7-118 of the election law is amended by  adding  two  new
 subdivisions 3-a and 3-b to read as follows:
   3-A.  THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  POST  A SAMPLE BALLOT FOR EACH
 ELECTION DISTRICT IN THE STATE ON THE BOARD'S WEBSITE  AT  LEAST  TWELVE
 DAYS  PRIOR  TO THE FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING. THE BOARD SHALL POST SUCH
 SAMPLE BALLOTS IN A SEARCHABLE DATABASE WHICH ALLOWS  VOTERS  TO  OBTAIN
 POLLING SITE INFORMATION, VOTER DISTRICT INFORMATION AND A SAMPLE BALLOT
 THAT  SUCH  VOTER SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO CAST AT THE NEXT ELECTION. SAMPLE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07649-01-5
 S. 6253                             2

 
 BALLOTS SHALL HAVE AN IMBEDDED SECURITY TOOL TO  PREVENT  TAMPERING  AND
 PRINTING OF SUCH SAMPLE BALLOTS.
   3-B.  EACH COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS MAY POST A SAMPLE BALLOT FOR EACH
 ELECTION DISTRICT WITHIN THAT COUNTY AT LEAST TWELVE DAYS PRIOR  TO  THE
 FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING. A COUNTY BOARD THAT POSTS SUCH SAMPLE BALLOTS
 SHALL  DO SO IN A SEARCHABLE DATABASE THAT ALLOWS VOTERS TO OBTAIN POLL-
 ING SITE INFORMATION AND A SAMPLE BALLOT THAT SUCH VOTER SHALL BE ELIGI-
 BLE TO CAST IN THE NEXT ELECTION. SUCH  SAMPLE  BALLOTS  SHALL  HAVE  AN
 IMBEDDED SECURITY TOOL TO PREVENT TAMPERING AND PRINTING OF SUCH BALLOT.
 SUCH  COUNTY  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  MAY ALSO REFER TO THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS' WEBSITE FOR SUCH INFORMATION  TO  BE  DELIVERED  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBDIVISION THREE-A OF THIS SECTION.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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