Provides for the declination of a designation as a candidate or nomination for a party position if the person designated or nominated has received a diagnosis of a serious health condition or has resigned the office for which they are nominated or designated to run for re-election.
Summary
A00559 amends the New York Election Law to expand the circumstances under which a person may decline a party designation or nomination. Under current law, a nominee could decline in limited situations such as certain criminal convictions after nomination; this bill adds two new grounds: if the person has been diagnosed with a serious health condition after being designated or nominated, or if the person has resigned the office they were nominated or designated to seek re-election to. The bill also retains the existing provision allowing declination after a misdemeanor or felony conviction.
In practical terms, the measure is aimed at giving candidates and party officials a clearer legal path to withdraw from a nomination when major life events make continued candidacy impractical or inappropriate. It applies to party designations and nominations for party positions and would take effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
The bill would amend section 6-146 of the Election Law, broadening the statutory list of special circumstances in which a nominated or designated person may decline the nomination. It would affect political parties, candidates, and election administrators by recognizing serious health diagnoses and resignation from the underlying office as valid bases for declination, in addition to post-nomination criminal convictions. The change would update state election procedures without creating a new program or funding mechanism.
Sentiment
The committee voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, with the Assembly Election Law Committee advancing it by 10-5 in May 2025 and later approving it again by 10-4 in February 2026. The available record shows no committee transcript debate, but the repeated favorable votes indicate support for the bill’s practical and compassionate approach to candidate declination.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether the law should be expanded beyond criminal-conviction-based declinations to include health-related circumstances and resignation from office. Supporters likely view the bill as a humane and administratively sensible update that prevents forcing seriously ill or no-longer-serving officeholders to remain on the ballot. Opponents, as reflected by the non-unanimous committee votes, may be concerned about opening additional avenues for withdrawal, potential strategic resignations, or the effect on party ballot access and candidate stability.
Same As
Provides for the declination of a designation as a candidate or nomination for a party position if the person designated or nominated has received a diagnosis of a serious health condition or has resigned the office for which they are nominated or designated to run for re-election.
Provides for the declination of a designation as a candidate or nomination for a party position if the person designated or nominated has received a diagnosis of a serious health condition or has resigned the office for which they are nominated or designated to run for re-election.
Provides for the declination of a designation as a candidate or nomination for a party position if the person designated or nominated has received a diagnosis of a serious health condition or has resigned the office for which they are nominated or designated to run for re-election.
Provides that a person who did not receive the nomination of a party in a caucus, may file a certificate of declination to a designation or nomination with respect to that office which the person had filed a designating petition of another party or had received the nomination after a primary or to a nomination of another party decided at a caucus within ten days after the certificate of nomination made pursuant to the caucus which the person had lost is filed.
Provides that a person designated as a candidate for two or more party nominations for an office to be filled at the time of a general election who is not nominated at a primary election by one or more such parties may decline a nomination not later than the last day to certify the ballot or to determine the candidates and questions that shall appear on the ballot; relates to the timing for certain candidates to decline a designation or nomination under certain circumstances.