PROPOSAL 1: RANKED-CHOICE VOTING
If New Yorkers vote yes to the first ballot measure, they will be able to rank candidates running for city office in order of preference.
The changes would affect only city primaries and special elections, and would go into effect starting in 2021 — right in time for the next mayoral election.
How would a winner be determined? If no candidate gets over 50 percent, the last-place finisher is eliminated and their votes transferred to the second-choice candidate on each ballot. The process repeats until there's a majority winner. The current system requires costly runoff elections when no candidate reaches 40 percent.
The proposal has support from good-government groups, the city's business sector and some lawmakers who believe the changes will give way to cleaner — and even nicer — political campaigns and save money by eliminating run-off primaries.
If approved, the first ballot proposal on elections would also:
• Require special elections be held 80 days after an elected office is vacated, a change necessary to conform to military voting and early voting laws.
• Speed up the timeline for redrawing City Council district boundaries so it is done before Council candidates run for election. This is in order to accommodate a new primary calendar.