Senate bill · S7116 (2025-26)

Enacts the voting integrity and verification act of New York (VIVA NY)

New York State Senate

Same as A6287, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Latest action Jun 5, 2026

Sponsor: Cordell Cleare (State Senator, District 30, Democratic)

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From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 19, 2026. About our data

Summary

Enacts the "voting integrity and verification act of New York (VIVA NY)"; provides that each voter is entitled to the use of an individual, voter verifiable paper ballot of the voter's vote and the opportunity to mark it.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Election Law.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To give voters the option, at every polling place, to mark a paper ballot by hand or with a nontabulating ballot marking device. This bill would guarantee that all voters can verify the selections on their ballots.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

Committee

Election Law · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Elections · New York State Senate.

Your position on this bill

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Cosponsors

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate

Democratic34

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

The sponsor's argument

Why Cordell Cleare says this is needed

Election experts agree that voters who are able to mark a ballot by hand must retain that option. To provide our voters with confidence that their cast ballot will unquestionably and accountably reflect their preference and only their preference, New York has instituted many common sense reforms, like insisting on individual, voter-verifiable paper ballots that help ensure voters can cast their votes privately, independently, and securely, even if counted by computerized vote tabu- lation systems. We live in a time when many voters harbor suspicion about the accuracy of vote counting. Requiring the use of the most reliable ballots may ameliorate that problem.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Elections
Senate ElectionsApr 21, 2026Result: passed
(6) (1) (0) (0)
Vote: Committee vote · Elections
Senate ElectionsMay 28, 2025Result: passed
(6) (1) (0) (0)

Full history

Jun 5, 2026
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Apr 27, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Apr 22, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Apr 21, 2026
1ST Report CAL.793
1ST REPORT CAL.793
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ELECTION LAW
NY Assembly

Show full history (7 earlier events)

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
NY Senate
Jun 13, 2025
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jun 4, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
May 29, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
May 28, 2025
1ST Report CAL.1334
1ST REPORT CAL.1334
NY Senate
Apr 1, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
NY Senate
Mar 3, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ELECTION LAW
NY Assembly

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.