Requires a commissioner of a board of elections to meet certain qualifications before their appointment which shall include, but not be limited to, the qualifications prescribed by section three of the public officers law, and demonstrated experience in election administration or other management, operations, or administrative experience in the public, non-profit, or private sector as deemed sufficient by the board.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10947
SPONSOR: Walker TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring a commission-
er of a board of elections to meet certain qualifications before their
appointment
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to require that commissioners of boards of
elections in each county and the city of New York meet certain quali-
fications upon their appointment
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would require the state board of elections, no
later than December 31, 2025, to prescribe qualification for all commis-
sioners of boards of elections in each county and the city of New York,
including, but not limited to: qualifications for holding office pursu-
ant to the Public Officers law; and, demonstrated experience in election
administration or other professional experience as deemed sufficient by
the board. Such qualifications would apply 30 days after promulgation
and would be reviewed by the board every two years. Such qualifications
would be prescribed by the board only after consideration of the skills
and knowledge necessary or useful for the exercise of the duties and
responsibilities of such commissioners.Section 2 of this bill provides
that the effective date shall take effect immediately.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
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JUSTIFICATION:
The duties of election commissioners are vast, and the administration of
elections is complex. Secure and efficient elections are a vital compo-
nent of maintaining a strong democracy, and providing the utmost confi-
dence in election results is more important than ever. Several laws
recently passed in New York State aim to make participation in elections
easier for residents, and it is the responsibility of local election
commissioners to ensure that these laws are implemented expeditiously
and effectively.Currently, local board of elections commissioners are
selected through political parties, and there are no qualifications or
experience required to be named as a commissioner. This has led to
numerous issues in the administration of the State's elections that
could have been avoided by appointing more experienced and qualified
commissioners. This bill would ensure that election commissioners meet
certain standards prior to their hiring and that these standards are
uniform across the State.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.645 (Mannion) - Passed Senate.
2021-22: S.8292 (Mannion) - Referred to Elections.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10947
IN ASSEMBLY
April 14, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to requiring a commission-
er of a board of elections to meet certain qualifications before their
appointment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 3-200 of the election law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
3 8. No later than December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six, the
4 state board of elections shall prescribe qualifications for all commis-
5 sioners of boards of elections in each county and the city of New York.
6 Such qualifications shall include, but not be limited to, the qualifica-
7 tions prescribed by section three of the public officers law, and demon-
8 strated experience in election administration or other management, oper-
9 ations, or administrative experience in the public, non-profit, or
10 private sector as deemed sufficient by the board. Such qualifications
11 shall apply to appointments made beginning thirty days after promulga-
12 tion of such qualifications and shall thereafter be reviewed by such
13 board at least every two years and updated as necessary. Such quali-
14 fications shall be prescribed by the board only after consideration of
15 the skills and knowledge necessary or useful for the exercise of the
16 duties and responsibilities of such commissioners, as well as the abili-
17 ty to recruit a sufficient number of candidates to be commissioners.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09681-01-5
