New York adopts a plain language bill for ballot proposals

Have you ever been confused about how to vote on a ballot question? Yep! So have we. 

That’s why we are so excited that New York has a new law requiring that ballot questions and proposed constitutional amendments be written in plain language and in a YES or NO format.

This bill was signed by Governor Hochul and is a big step for voter rights. Plain language is one way to make sure voters understand what they are asked to vote on and that they have a fair opportunity to cast a ballot according to their intent. Many people and organizations played a role in making it possible, including the lead sponsor, state Sen. Leroy Comrie and Common Cause NY. 

One of the most frequent complaints we hear in our research is that ballot questions are misleading, confusing or simply too difficult to understand. Some of the frustrations we’ve heard from voters in the past include:

“They’re never in layman’s terms”
“It’s never clear what yes or no means—Just look at Prop 8!”
“They’re not straightforward. Almost like it’s on purpose.”

We’ve worked on the issue of confusing, complicated and misleading ballot questions for years. It’s one of the most difficult problems in elections, but it really is possible to write them in plain language. We are particularly excited to see that the bill calls for specific plain language practices: focusing on the impact of the change, including a short, clear, title, and providing a statement of what a YES or NO vote means. Many of the changes are best practices that we’ve recommended in the past. 

We’re not the only ones who think so. In an op-ed for the Albany Times Union, Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY Susan Lerner and Susan Stamler of United Neighborhood Houses show how straightforward language would help New York voters understand what’s on the ballots. Simple language benefits everyone, particularly the 3.9 million voters who lack English language proficiency, which comprises almost 20% of NY’s voters. 

Though plain language can mean a lot of things, it comes down to making sure you ask the question in a way voters can understand and answer. The goal is that readers can:

  • Find what they need
  • Understand what they find
  • Use the information

To learn more about why democracy is stronger with clearly written ballot questions, here is a link to an interactive article we wrote for the New York Times: Ballot Measures Need to Be Written in Plain Language. 

For guidance on writing ballot questions in plain language, check out our voter guide page about the topic. For a deeper dive into plain language, check out the full page on our website.