Bill seeks to clear up ballot confusion in New York

A jumbled ballot that can confuse voters may soon be a thing of the past after the state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would require a more logical order for which offices appear on a ballot in New York. 

The bill seeks to address so-called voter "drop off" in order to encourage people to continue selecting candidates further down the ballot. At issue is the current ballot, which can list little-known judicial candidates before listing races for Congress, state and local office. 

The bill, backed by Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, would set a new required order for which offices appear on the ballot. Executive positions such as president and governor would be listed first, followed by state comptroller, attorney general, U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, state Senate, Assembly and then local elected offices. 

“Voting is the hallmark of our democracy, but the confusing and illogical ballot order in our elections has been shown to stimy participation,” Kaminsky said. “By putting elected legislative offices before judicial seats, we can bolster participation and ensure New Yorkers’ voices are heard in selecting the officials whose decisions matter most to them.”

The measure is yet to pass in the Assembly.