New York, N.Y. – On May 2, 2018, Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright announced that the New York State Assembly passed A.7518, which would allow candidates to satisfy both local and state requirements when filing to run for election.

The bill establishes that filing with the State Board of Elections fulfills both Local and State requirements. Under the current system, candidates are required to file with both agencies whose systems and requirements do not align. By synergizing the filing process, there is less strain on municipal resources, thereby saving taxpayer dollars.

“A great way to make elections more transparent is to clarify the current filing process, which is cumbersome and duplicative,” said Assembly Member Seawright. “In addition to making the use of State resources more efficient, the bill allows for enforcement of filing rules in one place. While we still have a long way to go, this bill is one of many I plan to introduce to make voting easier and more transparent for New Yorkers.”