NY S00491

Authorizes local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts) to conduct elections using ranked choice voting for specified offices in 2024 and 2025, including school board members, county executives and legislators, mayors, city council members, and town supervisors.

Requires ranked choice voting implementation by governing body resolution adopted at least 180 days before the election and subject to permissive referendum.

Establishes ranked choice voting procedures where voters rank candidates by preference; if no candidate achieves a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes transferred to voters' next choices until a candidate achieves a majority.

Mandates ballot design allowing voters to rank candidates numerically, includes sample ballots with absentee voting materials, and requires election officials to ensure voting systems accommodate ranked choice voting.

Requires local governments using ranked choice voting to conduct voter education campaigns and directs the bill to expire December 31, 2026, automatically repealing these provisions.