About Ranked Choice Voting:

1. Ranked choice voting will be used during the 2023 Councilmember primary elections in June! You will be able to vote for your top 5 candidates and indicate them in order of preference.
1. For one candidate to win during a ranked vote election, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate gets over 50% of the vote, the election moves to rounds, and the candidate with the lowest amount of votes per round will be eliminated.
2. Rounds will continue until one candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote. If your highest-rated candidate gets eliminated during a round, your next highest-rated candidate will receive your vote.

New Legislative Voting Rights Package Signed Into Law—September 2023

On September 20, 2023, Governor Hochul gave final approval to a legislative package aimed at protecting voting rights and encouraging participatory Democracy

• Strengthen Early Voting Practices (S. 6195/A.1177; S. 5984-A/A. 6132-A; S. 6519-A/A. 1565-A; S. 7394-A/A. 7632-A),
• Enhance Electoral Education (S. 5965-A/A. 4009-A; S. 587/A. 268; S. 1733-A/A. 5180-A; S. 7550/A. 7690),
• Protect New Yorkers’ Vote (S. 350/A. 5874; S. 438/A. 928).

Bills that strengthen Early Voting Practices:

• Legislation (S. 6195/A.1177) allows absentee ballots to be counted if they have been taped and show no signs of tampering.  This law takes effect immediately.
• Legislation (S. 5984-A/A. 6132-A) creates a “Golden Day” on the first day of each early voting period that allows New Yorkers to register to vote and cast their ballot all on that same day. This law takes effect immediately.
• Legislation (S. 6519-A/A. 1565-A) ensures that no early voting polling location can be changed within 48 hours of the early voting period unless there is a declared state emergency. This law takes effect immediately.
• Legislation (S. 7394-A/A. 7632-A) allows New Yorkers to request mail ballots up to ten days prior to an election that they want to vote early by mail. This law takes effect on January 1, 2024, and will apply to any election held thereafter.

Bills that enhance Electoral Education:

• Legislation (S. 5965-A/A. 4009-A) requires local jails to provide voter registration information to individuals of voting age being released from a local correctional facility. This law takes effect on the 180th day after the bill was signed.
• Legislation (S. 587/A. 268) mandates the NYS Board of Elections to provide a training program for all poll workers to reduce barriers voters may face on election day that could otherwise discourage them from voting. This law takes effect on the 180th day after the bill was signed.
• Legislation (S. 1733-A/A. 5180-A) requires local boards of education, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, charter schools, and non-public schools to adopt policies that promote student voter registration and pre-registration, so that youth can learn the importance of civic engagement. This law takes effect on the 1st of July.
• Legislation (S. 7550/A. 7690) schedules the 2024 Presidential Primary Election for April 2, 2024. This law takes effect immediately.

Bills To Protect New Yorkers’ Vote:

• Legislation (S. 350/A. 5874) prohibits “forum shopping” in constitutional challenges regarding election cases; thus, one cannot choose the court of jurisdiction that has the most favorable rules for the position being advocated. This law takes effect immediately.
• Legislation (S. 438/A. 928) bans electors in the NYS Electoral College from voting for a candidate that did not win the highest number of votes within the State. This law takes effect immediately.

Read the Governor’s Complete Press Release

New State Law Allows More Time To Register To Vote

On December 23, 2022, Governor Hochul signed legislation (S.2951A/A.8858A) expanding the time New Yorkers have to register to vote with the intention of making voting in the State easier and the ballot more accessible.

Previously, voter registration forms had to be submitted in-person at least 25 days before an election or postmarked at least 25 days before the election and received by the local Board of Elections 20 days before the election. Now, if a New Yorker submits a registration form in-person 10 days before an election, postmarks a voter registration form 15 days before an election, and the Board of Elections receives the forms 10 days prior to the election, that person will be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. This new law, which took effect on January 1, 2023, is consistent with the State constitutional minimum of ensuring voter registration forms are received 10 days ahead of an election.

Register to vote.

Read the Governor’s press release.

New Law To Ensure Eligible Votes Are Counted

On December 2, 2022, Governor Hochul signed S.284C/A.642C into law to improve the State’s electoral process and empower New Yorkers to vote. The new law requires the counting and canvassing of affidavit ballots made by qualified voters who go to the wrong polling site provided they are in the correct county and assembly district. The complete press release issued by the Governor’s Office can be found here.

Redistricting of New York State Congressional Line

In light of the population changes highlighted in Census 2020, congressional lines in New York State had to be redrawn. In January of 2022, the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, a bi-partisan body created to achieve a fair and transparent redistricting process, submitted two sets of map proposals to the New York State Legislature, which were voted down. As a result, a map was drawn by members of the legislature, which was signed into law by Governor Hochul.

Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed, Harkenrider v. Hochul, challenging the district lines created by the legislature on the basis that they favored one party over the other. After a long process, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore of the Court of Appeals ruled that a special master appointed by a lower court judge can draw the New York State maps. This special master was appointed by Judge Patrick McAllister of Steuben County New York. The special appointed master was Political Scientist Johnathan Cervas, a professor from Carnegie Mellon University. The goal of the independent court-appointed master was to create a fairer map. The 2022 map led to New York State districts being more competitive and a change in party representation in four seats in the House of Representatives. Find out more about the 2022 process.

After the 2022 election, a new lawsuit was filed. In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs asked for new lines or boundaries to be drawn for the 2024 election because the 2022 map was only intended to be “temporary.” The map was drawn by the court and not by the Independent Redistricting Commission, which was established by a constitutional amendment in 2014. The plaintiffs argued that all Congressional Maps in New York must be drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission or Members of the New York State Legislature, making the 2022 court created map only temporary. On July 13, 2023, the New York State Appellate Court ruled 3-2 in favor of the plaintiffs of the lawsuit stating that the New York State Congressional lines needed to be redrawn before the 2024 Election. This decision was recently appealed with the respondents asserting that according to the New York State Constitution, redistricting cannot occur mid-decade.

Thus, a decision from the New York State Court of Appeals, the highest court in the State, will likely determine what New York’s Congressional lines will be for the 2024 election. Find out more about the appeal process.

Read more about New York State’s redistricting process.

New Assembly Redistricting Maps Issued

The 10-member Independent Redistricting Commission released a new draft of proposed Assembly district lines on December 1, 2022. The Commission’s new maps differ from the current district maps created by the Assembly itself. Earlier this year, Judge McAllister voided the proposed maps for U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate and State Assembly districts. However, after a legal battle, the court ruled that Assembly districts could stay the same for the general election of November 2023 because of limited time. However, the court decided that maps needed to be revised for the 2024 elections. The Court appointed a special master to redraw the State Senate and Congressional district lines for the midterm elections.

In September 2022, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled that the Independent Redistricting Commission was charged with submitting new maps by April 2023.

After a contentious process, with bipartisan support of the maps, the Commission met the court-imposed deadline of December 2, 2022 to present the newly drawn maps. The Independent Redistricting Commission will hold public hearings from January 9 to March 1 across the State on the newly drawn maps. The deadline for the Commission to present final maps to the State Legislature is April 28, 2023.

Some of the major changes on the newest maps are:

• Removing sections of Bay Ridge to Coney Island and adding parts of Bensonhurst to District 46 in Brooklyn. In Queens, District 36 will encompass the Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island, LIC and Astoria. In Staten Island, a district that currently encompasses Lower Manhattan and Northern Staten Island would separate the boroughs again. Northern Staten Island would be District 61 while the Manhattan portion will be incorporated into District 65.
• In the Lower Hudson Valley, District 101 has been eliminated. In addition, District 100 has expanded to include more Republican towns.
• In Syracuse, the Commission revised three districts-- Districts 127, 128 and 129 which largely favored one political party.

UPDATE

On April 20, 2023, the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission voted 9-1 to advance the new Assembly district boundaries plan. Shortly thereafter, the State Legislature approved the district maps and Governor Hochul signed the legislation into law. These new lines/districts will be in place for the 2024 elections. They were established in response to a 2022 as a result of a ruling by the NYS Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in Nichols v. Hochul. The decision upheld a lower trial court decision overturning the district lines because the court found fault in the procedures the Assembly followed drawing their own maps. The court ruled that the maps were enacted in violations of the State’s constitutional process. The new district lines are essentially the same as those previously in effect.

To learn more, click here.

To find out who is your Assembly Member and which district you are in, click here.

The New York City Council approves the Revised City Council District Maps

On October 27, 2022, the New York City Council approved the newly redrawn city council maps proposed by the Districting Commission which will go in to effect next year. The New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams sent a letter to the Districting Commission Chairperson Dennis Walcott announcing the Council’s approval of the new maps. The final version of the maps include significant changes to some existing districts in order to account for the population growth over the last ten years, as demonstrated in the recent Census. The newly drawn maps will now go to the City Clerk for official certification.

The Commission will hold another public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, 6 p.m. at 22 Reade Street, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10007, during which it will explain the revised plan submitted to City Council. The meeting will also be livestreamed at nyc.gov/districting.

To read Speaker Adams letter click here.

To learn more, click here.

To view the new maps, click  https://www1.nyc.gov/site/districting/maps/maps.page

New York City Council Redistricting

According to the 2020 Census, New York City’s population grew by more than 600,000 between 2010 and 2020. There was significant growth in the City’s Asian American and Pacific Islander population, and also in the City’s Hispanic population. Because of population changes, some council districts may undergo significant changes under a redistricting process.

The NYC Charter requires that the City’s Districting Commission redraw the council’s 51 districts every 10 years, factoring population and demographic changes in the census. The Commission is comprised of 15 members, 7 appointed by the mayor, 5 appointed by the council’s Democratic majority and 3 appointed by the council’s Republican minority.

The members of the Commission are charged with drafting new boundary lines for the council districts, with strict criteria for each district’s population so that it doesn’t dilute the voting power of racial and language minority groups. Further the maps cannot split neighborhoods and communities of common interest. This process may be as contentious as the process that just transpired for the State Senate, State Assembly and Congressional lines, resulting in a fragmented primary election season.

The New York City Districting Commission released the first set of maps on July 15, 2022. Among the highlights, the preliminary plan created a new Asian- and Pacific Islander- majority district in southern Brooklyn. It will cover parts of Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst. However, some fear these new lines will disempower the area’s LatinX community.

The New York Immigration Coalition expressed concern that the Commission did not keep immigrant communities whole. The new districts will split up communities of color, making it harder for immigrant New Yorkers in those areas to elect leaders that will represent their interests. Others took issue with splitting districts into different boroughs.

The maps are available for review online and a hard copy will be displayed at the Surrogate’s Court 31 Chambers Street.

Eventually, the plan will be submitted to the City Council. If the City Council doesn’t object to that plan within three weeks, it is automatically adopted. If the City Council objects in whole or in part to the plan and requests revisions, the Commission must consider the comments and feedback before issuing a revised plan for public input and another round of hearings. The Commission votes on and submits a final plan to the City Clerk. Thus, the Commission has final approval over the legislative maps unless subject to a legal challenge. However, the past two City Council redistricting plans that were approved passed without a legal challenge.

The new lines must be in place by February 2023 in time for the June primary elections when the City Council will again be on the ballot, as well as in the subsequent 2025 and 2029 elections.

See: NYC Redistricting Commission

View the released maps.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act Become Law in New York State

On June 20, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (S.1046-E/A.6678-E) into law. The state legislature passed this bill, the most expansive protections in the country, to encourage participation in our Democracy and elective franchise by all eligible New Yorkers. The law aims to ensure that eligible voters who are members of racial, ethnic, and language-minority groups have equitable access to register to vote and participate in our political or electoral process. In sum, this Act establishes the rights of a protected class to vote, provides assistance to language-minority groups, requires preclearance for potential violations and creates civil liability for voter intimidati

Among the provisions:

• Expands access to voting by barring voter dilution, suppression, intimidation, deception, or obstruction
• Requires jurisdictions with a history of civil or voting rights violations to seek preclearance for changes to key election policies and procedures through either the State Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau or a specified State Supreme Court
• Creates civil liability for voter intimidation and vote dilution, provides guidance on how these can be proven in court and a non-exhaustive list of suggested remedies
• Provides for expedited judicial proceedings involving alleged violations under the Act
• Requires districts to provide language assistance to a minority group for voting materials of an equal quality of the English language materials

The provisions of this Act will apply to all elections for any office or electoral choice within the State or political subdivision.

Read the full press release here.

Absentee Voting Protection Signed Into Law

On June 24, 2022, a New York State law was enacted to protect absentee voting, ensuring these ballots are not disqualified because of stray marks.

During the pandemic many voters used absentee ballots to safely participate in the electoral process. This law protects the constitutional right of absentee voters to have their vote counted when there are marks or writing on an absentee ballot, as long as the express intent of the voter is clear. Before the law was enacted, any stray marks or writing would void the ballot regardless of whether the rest of the ballot was filled correctly.

This Act takes effect immediately and will apply to all elections after June 24.

Read the full bill here.

If you are Voting by Absentee Ballot, here are the Changes for 2022 and Beyond

There are new absentee ballot procedures that apply to 2022 and future elections, as a result of amendments to state law. Here are the key points to remember: 
• If you have applied for an absentee ballot either by mail, online or in-person, you may not cast a ballot on a voting machine for that election;
• However, if you have applied for an absentee ballot, and you changed your mind and want to vote in-person, whether during early voting or on election day,  you may complete an affidavit ballot at the poll site.  Affidavit ballots will be kept separate by the poll workers until the election is completed;
• To ensure that one ballot, one vote is cast by each voter, election officials will confirm if a voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If the absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be counted;

You may apply online to request an absentee ballot. Once you request the absentee ballot, voting in-person using the voting machine is no longer an option during Early Voting or on the Primary or General Election Day. You will only be permitted to vote by affidavit ballot.