New York State Board of Elections and Public Campaign Finance Board Meet
By: Joseph T. Burns
On August 6, 2025, both the New York State Board of Elections (SBOE) and the New York State Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB) met to address a number of election and administrative matters.
At its meeting, the SBOE commissioners approved the creation of a new Accessibility Services & Training unit to oversee poll worker training and manage voting accessibility. Two individuals — a director and deputy director — were appointed by the SBOE commissioners to head the new unit.
The commissioners also approved regulations for implementing New York’s new automatic voter registration (AVR) system, first enacted by the state legislature in 2020. In addition, SBOE commissioners approved the text and abstract for a proposed constitutional amendment that will appear on the November 2025 General Election ballot. The amendment would permit a land exchange within the Adirondack Park to allow expansion of the Olympic Sports Complex in the Town of North Elba. Having already been approved by two consecutively elected legislatures, the amendment will become part of the state constitution if ratified by voters this fall.
The SBOE, created in 1974 and led by two Republican and two Democratic commissioners along with two co–executive directors, oversees the administration of elections in the State of New York.
Also on August 6, the PCFB approved emergency regulations to align its rules with recent legislative changes to New York’s public campaign finance program that were enacted earlier this year through the state budget. These changes include:
- Expanded ability for candidates in the program to “rollover” unused public funds;
- Allowing the first $250 of certain larger contributions to be “matchable” for public funds; and
- New compliance training opportunities for those working with candidates in the public campaign finance program.
New York State’s public campaign finance program was established by the state legislature in 2020. Candidates for state legislature were first able to use the program in the 2024 election. Beginning in 2026, candidates for governor, comptroller, and attorney general will also be able to participate. The Public Campaign Finance Board — comprised of the four State Board of Elections commissioners, plus one appointee each from the Republican legislative leaders, the Democratic legislative leaders, and the governor — oversees and administers the program.
