Elections, State Board of
skip breadcrumbsAgency Web Site: https://www.elections.ny.gov/
Mission
The New York State Board of Elections executes and enforces all laws relating to elections, oversees the conduct of elections as well as the disclosure of campaign financing activities. The Board also strives to promote the full participation of the State's eligible voters and to maintain citizens' confidence in each stage of the process of elections.
The Board is responsible for reviewing the practices of all 62 local boards of elections; facilitating access to the ballot for State offices; approving voting systems for use within the State; maintaining the statewide voter registration database; conducting compliance reviews of campaign financing disclosure reports; training filers; and implementing various Federal voting programs including the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE).
The Division of Election Law Enforcement is responsible for responding to complaints filed with the State Board and for the enforcement of the provisions of the Election Law.
Organization and Staffing
The State Board of Elections is comprised of four commissioners and is organized into three main business units; Compliance, Enforcement, and Election Operations. The workforce is comprised of administrative/clerical staff and investigators.
Budget Highlights
The FY 2020 Executive Budget recommends $30.4 million in State Operations appropriations. This is an $18.8 million increase from the previous fiscal year, reflecting additional federal HAVA resources. The Board maintains a workforce of 85 FTEs; no change from the previous fiscal year.
Reappropriations totaling $79.9 million continue to be available to meet ongoing Federal and State election mandates, including funding for early voting and electronic poll books, federal funding for state and local cyber-security enhancements, and original Help America Vote Act funding.
New capital resources totaling $16 million will be provided to fund the build-out of online voter registration as required by the Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2019.
Program Highlights
Compliance
The Compliance Unit, under the supervision of the Joint Counsel's Office, is responsible for the registration and termination of committees, receiving and processing campaign financial disclosure reports, operating a call center for Election Law and filing inquiries, and calculating contribution limits. The Board regularly receives and reviews campaign financial disclosure filings from over 16,000 state and local filers, performs audits of filings, assists campaign treasurers in bringing their filings into compliance and provides statewide training. The Board has also undertaken the redesign and redevelopment of systems used by campaign treasurers to report disclosures for public review. This multi-year project modernizes an outdated system to make campaign finance information easier to disclose and more transparent to the public.
Enforcement
The Board’s Division of Election Law Enforcement is tasked with the investigation of complaints alleging violations of Election Law as well as potential violations of campaign finance reporting requirements. Based on the evidence, the Chief Enforcement Counsel decides whether the Division should close the matter, proceed with civil enforcement action, or seek criminal prosecution.
Election Operations
The Board provides oversight and assistance to each county board of elections and the Board of Elections in the City of New York in the facilitation of ballot access efforts by candidates for a variety of public offices and party positions, as well as ensuring compliance with all state and federal laws, regularly monitoring their list maintenance activities to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the voter rolls, and visiting each board on a biannual basis to ensure that proper procedures are in place and are being followed. The Board reviews any new voting systems or changes to existing systems for testing and possible certification for use in New York State. The Board is responsible for maintenance of the NYSVoter statewide voter list, required under HAVA, which is securely connected to each county, receives data on new and updated voters and provides information to counties for list maintenance activities.
| Category | Available FY 2020 |
Appropriations Recommended FY 2021 |
Change From FY 2020 |
Reappropriations Recommended FY 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Operations | 11,559,000 | 30,398,000 | 18,839,000 | 33,661,000 |
| Aid To Localities | 10,000,000 | 0 | (10,000,000) | 31,622,000 |
| Capital Projects | 14,700,000 | 16,000,000 | 1,300,000 | 14,610,000 |
| Total | 36,259,000 | 46,398,000 | 10,139,000 | 79,893,000 |
| Program | FY 2020 Estimated FTEs 03/31/20 |
FY 2021 Estimated FTEs 03/31/21 |
FTE Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation of Elections | |||
| General Fund | 66 | 66 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Election Enforcement | |||
| General Fund | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Total | 85 | 85 | 0 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2020 |
Recommended FY 2021 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 8,559,000 | 8,559,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 0 | 21,839,000 | 21,839,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 3,000,000 | 0 | (3,000,000) |
| Total | 11,559,000 | 30,398,000 | 18,839,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2020 |
Recommended FY 2021 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Election Enforcement | |||
| General Fund | 3,960,000 | 3,960,000 | 0 |
| Regulation of Elections | |||
| General Fund | 4,599,000 | 4,599,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 0 | 21,839,000 | 21,839,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 3,000,000 | 0 | (3,000,000) |
| Total | 11,559,000 | 30,398,000 | 18,839,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Election Enforcement | 2,135,000 | 0 | 2,135,000 | 0 |
| Regulation of Elections | 3,025,000 | 0 | 2,976,000 | 0 |
| Total | 5,160,000 | 0 | 5,111,000 | 0 |
| Program | Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried) |
Holiday/Overtime Pay | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Regulation of Elections | 45,000 | 0 | 4,000 | 0 |
| Total | 45,000 | 0 | 4,000 | 0 |
| Program | Total | Supplies and Materials | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Election Enforcement | 1,825,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Regulation of Elections | 1,574,000 | 0 | 128,000 | 0 |
| Total | 3,399,000 | 0 | 128,000 | 0 |
| Program | Travel | Contractual Services | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Election Enforcement | 0 | 0 | 1,825,000 | 0 |
| Regulation of Elections | 26,000 | 0 | 1,343,000 | 0 |
| Total | 26,000 | 0 | 3,168,000 | 0 |
| Program | Equipment | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Regulation of Elections | 77,000 | 0 |
| Total | 77,000 | 0 |
| Program | Total | Nonpersonal Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Regulation of Elections | 21,839,000 | 18,839,000 | 21,839,000 | 18,839,000 |
| Total | 21,839,000 | 18,839,000 | 21,839,000 | 18,839,000 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2020 |
Recommended FY 2021 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 10,000,000 | 0 | (10,000,000) |
| Total | 10,000,000 | 0 | (10,000,000) |
| Program | Available FY 2020 |
Recommended FY 2021 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation of Elections | |||
| General Fund | 10,000,000 | 0 | (10,000,000) |
| Total | 10,000,000 | 0 | (10,000,000) |
| Comprehensive Construction Program | Available FY 2020 |
Recommended FY 2021 |
Change | Reappropriations FY 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Improvement or Change | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund - Authority Bonds | 14,700,000 | 16,000,000 | 1,300,000 | 14,610,000 |
| Total | 14,700,000 | 16,000,000 | 1,300,000 | 14,610,000 |
Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/29/2020