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S 5851

Requires elections and terms of certain officials occur on even-numbered years

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cordell Cleare and 10 co-sponsors

S 5851 would require elections and terms for certain NY officials to occur in even-numbered years, standardizing cycles and potentially changing campaign timing.

OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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Bill Summary · S 5851

S 5851 — Summary

Overview

S 5851 is a New York Senate bill titled “Requires elections and terms of certain officials occur on even-numbered years.” The bill, introduced on March 3, 2025, proposes scheduling elections and the terms of select officials to occur in even-numbered years. The current status is “OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY,” indicating it is under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill has a companion in the Assembly (A 7369) and related legislation from a prior session (S 9126).

Purpose and Intent

  • Align the elections and term cycles of certain elected officials with even-numbered years.
  • Create a uniform schedule for when elections are held and for the length/end dates of terms for those offices.
  • The specific offices affected and the exact term lengths or transitional rules would be defined in the full text of the bill.

Key Provisions (as indicated by the bill’s title and status)

  • Requires that both the election timing and the term lengths for certain officials occur on even-numbered years.
  • Intended to standardize electoral cycles to coincide with even-year cycles, potentially affecting when offices begin and end terms.
  • Detailed definitions (which offices are covered, term lengths, transitional provisions, and any retroactivity) would be laid out in the bill’s text.

Affected Parties

  • Elected officials whose offices are selected by the bill (unspecified in the provided information).
  • Voters in districts represented by those officials.
  • Election administrators and state/local election offices responsible for scheduling and administering elections.
  • Legislators and potential candidates for the affected offices.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced: March 3, 2025.
  • Initial referral: Referred to Judiciary on March 3, 2025.
  • Subsequent actions: Attorney General opinion requested (March 4, 2025) and later “OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY” actions dated March 24, 2025.
  • Status suggests ongoing committee consideration and potential amendments before floor action.

Related Legislation

  • S 9126 (prior-session bill with related scope or concepts).
  • A 7369 (companion bill in the Assembly).

Sponsors

  • Primary Sponsor: James Skoufis.
  • Cosponsors: Luis R. Sepúlveda, Robert Jackson, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Sean Ryan, Julia Salazar, Jeremy Cooney, Cordell Cleare, Leroy Comrie, Pete Harckham, Rachel May.

Potential Impact (high-level)

  • Election timing: Could shift when elections are held for affected offices to even-numbered years, influencing campaign cycles and voter turnout patterns.
  • Policy stability: May affect continuity of office by changing term start/end dates and potentially requiring transitional arrangements.
  • Fiscal and administrative: Could necessitate adjustments to election calendars, budgeting, and calendar planning for affected jurisdictions.

Note: The exact offices affected and the technical details (term lengths, transitional rules, grandfathering) will be specified in the bill’s full text.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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