Senate Elections Committee advances five election-related bills; county officials warn on publishing ballot images

The New York State Senate Elections Committee on Feb. 25, 2025, reported five bills from committee, advancing measures on electronic ballot-image availability, voter notices about candidates, early voting for certain special elections, tax treatment for election workers, and absentee-ballot envelope language.

The committee, chaired by Senator Kristen Gonzalez, approved the measures by voice vote and sent several to the Finance Committee for further consideration. Members voiced the most substantive concerns about Senate Bill 2541, which would make electronic ballot images available, citing administrative burdens and voter-privacy risks raised by county election officials.

Senate Bill 2541, sponsored on the floor as "an act to amend the election law in relation to the availability of electronic ballot images," drew objections from county boards of elections reported to the committee. Senator Walznick told the panel she had queried county boards and said one county described the proposal this way: "Imagine the flood of request to review every ballot image and having to secure share file all of that." Walznick said counties also raised privacy concerns in small districts about…