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Description
New York’s special election system for filling vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives and the State Legislature excludes voters from the candidate selection process. Instead of voters selecting nominees, political party leaders designate their parties’ respective candidates. In this report, the Fordham Law School Rule of Law Clinic recommends reforming this system by implementing open special elections using ranked choice voting. All candidates who meet petition signature requirements, regardless of party affiliation, would compete in a single election. This reform would improve participation, representation, and accountability without sacrificing efficiency.
Start Date
2-2026
Publisher
Fordham Law School Rule of Law Clinic
City
New York
Included in
Election Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Legislation Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons
