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Committee advances bill to notify voters about candidates; members debate risk of stale information
Summary
S.B. 2543, modeled on New York City's candidate guide, was reported from the Senate Elections Committee amid questions about misinformation and who bears responsibility for updates.
The Senate Elections Committee on Feb. 25, 2025, reported Senate Bill 2543, an act to amend the election law to provide notices to voters about candidates in upcoming elections. The measure’s sponsor said the proposal is modeled on a program used in New York City and is intended to increase voter awareness.
Committee members questioned how the program would handle changes after notices are distributed. Senator Kavanaugh (member) and counsel explained that the information would be submitted by candidates and that campaigns ultimately have responsibility for notifying voters of changes. Counsel said there is no comprehensive fact-checking process for candidate-submitted entries, though "something sort of demonstrably untrue" might be flagged.
Senator Walznick said she would not want taxpayer-funded notices to perpetuate misinformation, calling it a concern. The chair noted related bills addressing misinformation are under consideration and that the guide would include only people on the ballot; if a candidate later drops out, their name on the ballot would still make voters eligible to receive information.
After discussion the committee moved the bill; Senator Rupp moved it and Senator Myrie seconded. The committee reported the bill to the finance committee for further consideration. The transcript does not record detailed enforcement or fact-checking procedures for the guide.
