New York State Election Commissioners Association Adopts 2026 Legislative Agenda
By: Joseph T. Burns
At its January 2026 conference, the New York State Election Commissioners Association adopted its 2026 legislative agenda. Among the items approved for the agenda are:
- Support for legislation making the terms of all county election commissioners four years and beginning the terms on the year following the gubernatorial election;
- Support for legislation to exclude contests for the party positions of judicial delegate, alternate judicial delegate, and member of the county committee from the Election Law provision for automatic hand recounts in close races;
- Support for legislation allowing for flexibility in appointing non-enrolled voters as Republican or Democratic election inspectors;
- Support for legislation giving county election commissioners flexibility in setting the hours of operation for their Board of Elections; and
- Support for legislation enabling county parties outside of New York City to have direct ballot access for their candidates.
NYSECA’s legislative agenda was approved with bipartisan support.
The NYSECA is comprised of the election commissioners for each of New York State’s sixty-two counties. Pursuant to the state constitution and the Election Law, elections in each of New York State’s 62 counites are administered by one Republican election commissioner and one Democratic election commissioner. In the City of New York, the New York City Board of Elections is comprised of the ten commissioners from New York City’s five boroughs.
We will monitor the progress of the NYSECA proposals as the 2026 New York State legislative session progresses and provide updates when appropriate.
