These are the Legislative priorities of the Democratic Caucus Chair of the NYS Elections Commissioner Association for the 2024 Legislative session. We will be working with lawmakers to address these priorities as well as other pieces of legislation that affect elections throughout New York State. Additional bills that we support as well as updated bill numbers will be added to this space through out session.
2024 NYS Election Commissioners Association
Democratic Caucus Legislative Priorities
Give Boards of Elections the ability to properly serve the voters of New York.
To meet the needs of our modern political calendar we propose the following reforms to Boards of Election offices to be passed as a singular package by the NYS Legislature:
- Minimum staffing requirements set by the State Board of Elections for full-time permanent employees for each County Board. (Bi-partisan support). (S644A/A1258A) 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
- Four-year terms for all election commissioners beginning the year after the gubernatorial election. (Bi-partisan support). (S6933/A4777A) 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
- Require all Commissioners in New York outside of the City of New York to be full time commissioners with salaries set based on a metric of county department heads within the host county, to be determined by the State Board of Elections (Bi-partisan support). (S611A/A919) 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
Since 2019, long awaited election reform has changed local Boards of Elections responsibilities without making the structural changes necessary for each county board to meet the needs of their voters. Making these changes will allow county commissioners the ability to strategically plan and bring year-round full-time management to each county’s board. In addition, each county will have sufficient staffing required for increased voter registration and canvassing requirements required under amendments to the New York State Election Law.
- Unify New York under a single voter registration system administered by the NYS Board of Elections by 2028 (Bi-Partisan Support) 2024 Session No legislation Introduced
Voter Registration systems are the lifeblood of any county board of elections. Relying on individual systems from county to county is inefficient and expensive for New York Voters. We believe that the NYS Board of Elections should implement a single voter registration system for all of New York State. This would save county boards hundreds of thousands of dollars and would provide a more efficient system for a mobile populace. This can be accomplished by the NYSBOE selecting a single statewide vendor or developing a statewide voter registration system to manage the needs of county boards.
- Support mandatory training and certification for Commissioners and Deputies. (S617) 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
We also believe that standardized training and certification for county commissioners through the NYS Board of Elections is critical and will help ensure voters across the state have a uniform, professional experience when interacting with local county boards. New Commissioners will receive intensive training and existing commissioners would complete ongoing training through a certification program. This will ensure all counties have professionally trained election officials.
Invest in our election system by providing the following funding streams in the New York State Budget.
- Funding for temporary workers for County Boards of Elections to manage increased volume of the 2024 Presidential Election. 2024 Session $5 million in 2024 Budge Aid to Localities
- Dedicated funding for voter outreach and media campaigns. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session $5 million in 2024 Budge Aid to Localities
- Properly fund the New York State Board of Elections and give the NYSBOE proper authority to promulgate regulations and enforce responsibilities outlined in state law. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session $5 million in 2024 Budge Fully Funded
Heading into the 2024 Presidential Election County Board of Elections do not have the resources to properly administer the surge in registration and Early Vote by Mail expected this year. New York State should allow for a one-year grant to fund additional temporary workers. We also need dedicated funding for media outreach and public education campaigns to inform the voters of all the changes in election law so they can properly cast their ballots. Finally, it is essential that New York State properly and adequately fund the New York State Board of Elections. They provide guidance to all County Boards and must have the resources necessary to fulfill their ongoing responsibilities and provide oversight.
Provide flexibility for County Board of Election operations.
- Allow for flexibility for designating non-enrolled inspectors to serve as Republican or Democratic inspectors. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
Inspector recruitment in urban and rural areas is becoming problematic. Limiting recruits to partisan election inspectors is becoming unfeasible. Allowing Boards of Elections to open some spots to non-enrolled or third-party voters may help ease the burden in hard to recruit areas. Polling places should still be required to have at least one member of both major parties, but flexibility in staffing will allow Boards to operate seamlessly throughout Early Voting and Election Day.
- Grant County Election Commissioners independence and flexibility with respect to determining hours of operation. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
Boards of Elections are unique entities. They need flexibility to determine their own hours of operation to accommodate weekend and Early Voting as well as staying open on election deadlines.
Reform election law to provide clarity to better serve the election process.
Alter the automatic hand recount in the following ways.
- Reduce the threshold for triggering recounts in close elections to .25% and allow for alternative scan within the .25-50% range, while also reducing the minimum vote threshold to ten. (Bi-partisan support) (S1014/A1259) 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
- Mandate the hand recount start after the recanvass of the election at a date to be determined by the New York State Board of Elections. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session Passed in Primary Election Bill, Signed by Governor
- Exempt all party position contests from the manual hand count. (Bi-partisan support)
The automatic hand-count has been in place for several election cycles. We have learned that the precinct scanners are accurate. Lowering the threshold for the hand-count will allow the county boards to focus on the truly close races that have a chance of changing hands. We must also stipulate that the hand-count should only start after initial certification allowing boards to properly prepare and sort ballots for counting. Finally, we should exempt party positions from the hand count rule as these elections are routinely close but not close enough to switch winners and draw resources away from publicly held offices.
- Altering the highest municipality early voting law to lower the highest city threshold to at least 10,000 voters. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
The alteration of the Early Voting statute to mandate an Early Voting center in the highest City rather than municipality inside a county has created unforeseen issues. Many counties have exceedingly small incorporated cities that would mandate Early Voting centers away from more populous municipalities. Enacting a minimum voter threshold for a city will accomplish the goals of the legislature to make sure urban areas have access to Early Voting while allowing counties with small cities to ensure more of their citizens get access to Early voting.
- NY State should participate in cross state matching programs to keep our voter rolls accurate (S6173A/A7052C). 2024 Session Passed Senate, Passed Assembly Election Law Committee
Accuracy of our voter rolls is paramount for running a successful election. New York should participate in ERIC or another cross-state matching program so we can inactivate voters who have registered to vote in another state.
- Encourage legislation denoting that all public offices within the state of New York be referred to in gender neutral terms on Primary and General election ballots. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
In our modern world there is no need to assign gender to political office. This causes confusion when creating ballots, often having to place candidates in gender labelled positions with which they do not identify. Making all offices gender neutral will allow Boards of Elections to make uniform ballots throughout all public offices.
- Extend the General Election Post Primary drop off date until after the certification of the June Primary or last day to caucus for town races. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
The addition of the post primary drop off has reduced the number of non-active candidacies to the general election. However, it is too soon for some candidates to make this decision. We believe the date should extend to beyond the last day to certify a primary and for town candidates until the last day for a caucus to be held. This will allow candidates within close races to get a final determination before making the decision to drop off their third-party line. Similarly, Town candidates may wish to await town caucuses to make this determination which could happen well after the current cutoff date.
- Extend the enrollment change freeze window beyond the last day for caucus. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
The enrollment freeze window from February 14th until after the certification of the June Primary is not long enough to protect party switching before town caucuses. Party switches right before a town caucus is not fair to the party holding the caucus and creates an administrative problem for county boards to process and give accurate town voter rolls before the caucus. Extending the window until after the last day to hold town caucuses will remedy both these issues.
- Move the petition calendar one week earlier to accommodate the Presidential Primary in 2024. (Bi-partisan support) 2024 Session no legislation introduced
The Presidential Primary in 2024 has been scheduled for April 2, 2024. This is the first day for turning in designating petitions. This creates an administrative burden for Boards of Elections. We support moving the political calendar earlier to have the submission of designating petitions start and end before the Presidential Primary of 2024.
- Protect town caucuses from party raiding by requiring party authorization for candidates not enrolled in a party to receive designation. 2024 Session no legislation introduced
Protecting party caucuses in the way we protect parties during designating petitions is vital to ensure an orderly designating process. An increase in organized party raiding at town caucuses to nominate non-party enrolled candidates is threatening to reduce competition for town offices statewide. Authorizations form Party chairs for non-party candidates wishing to participate in a party caucus will ensure an end to this practice.
Give Voters the resources they need to properly register and cast ballots.
- Designation of Election Day as a non-attendance day for public school students. (Bi-partisan support) (S2024A/A4294) 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
It is harder to secure polling places with private institutions such as churches and businesses increasingly resistant to open doors. In many communities the only HAVA compliant buildings with proper parking are schools. Mandating a non-student attendance day on Election Day will balance the needs of protecting students while making these buildings available for the voting public.
- Restarting the Constitutional amendment on No Fault Absentees. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
- Restarting the constitutional amendment on Same day registration. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
Increasing the ability of voters to cast ballots by mail is an important priority. Likewise, the ability to register to vote should be as flexible. Thirty-five states and Washington DC have no-fault absentee voting. Twenty-two states and Washington DC have the same Day registration. New York should start the years lengthy process to amend our constitution to give voters a chance to choose these options in a high turnout election year.
- Authorize the issuing of same-day absentee ballots in those instances when commissioners agree that health-related exigencies on or immediately prior to Election Day create hardship. (Bi-partisan support) (A1111) 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
Late emerging circumstances are a reality of our election process. Currently on Election Day infirmed individuals have no explicit process to receive an absentee. Giving commissioners the ability to approve Election Day absentee requests will allow those who have late unavoidable circumstances to still cast a ballot.
- Allow for Vote Centers on Election Day as well as Early Voting on a permissive basis. (Bi-partisan support) (S5537A/A6939A) 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
With the adoption of on-demand ballot printers and electronic polling books we have the tools to take the next logical step in our Election Day experience. We already allow voters to travel to the most convenient Early Voting center, we should allow, as a permissive reform, Boards of Elections to allow Vote Centers on Election Day.
(Bi-partisan support) Indicates a common goal with the NYS Elections Commissioner Association overall Legislative Agenda as Approved by bi-partisan Elections Commissioners in January 2024
Updated bill numbers and memorandums of support can be found online here:
Additional Election Related bills supported by the NYSECA Democratic Caucus of Commissioners
S4496/A9596 Requires the boards of trustees of SUNY and CUNY institutions to grant course credit to students who serve as election inspectors, poll clerks or election coordinators. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
S371/A2633 An act to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the “democracy preservation act”; and in relation to prohibiting contributions by foreign-influenced business entities and requiring certification. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S2298/A1176 An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring that subpoenas relating to election matters be served with a separate informational sheet that summarizes why the subpoena has been issued. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S2349A/A10549 An act to amend the election law, in relation to providing that a voter may register to vote at any residence to which the voter maintains a continuous connection with an intent to remain. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S5943/A725 Candidate order on ballot. 2024 Session Passed Senate and Assembly
S6735A/A3250A Pre-registered 17-year-old request absentee ballot. 2024 Session Passed Senate and Assembly
S2381/A5007 Relates to enabling constitutionally qualified electors to register to vote and to cast a ballot on the same day at a polling location. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
S8454/A1127 Eliminates the ability of judicial candidates for office who are enrolled in a particular party to automatically be allowed to run as a candidate in another party’s primary election. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
S242/A6971 Establishes portable polling places for Early Voting. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S585/A9162 Allows NYS Board of Elections to remove Elections Commissioner for Cause. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S7725A/A4759B Enacts the election workers and polling places protection act 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
S4433/A8899 Authorizes full-time college students to act as election inspectors and poll clerks in the election district where their colleges are located. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S8827A/A10309 Requires any student graduating from a high school in New York state be provided with a voter registration form. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S8116/A3240 Permits enrollment in the address confidentiality program for election officers. 2024 Session No Action in either Senate or Assembly
S263/A8608 Prohibits deceptive practices and the suppression of voters, and increases penalties for violations of the elective franchise 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
S8752/A9732 Provides for automatic voter registration and pre registration for persons applying for certain department of motor vehicles documentation, and for Medicaid enrollees. 2024 Session Passed Senate, No Action in Assembly
Dustin M. Czarny 