The 21st Congressional District of New York will hold a special election

Albany, New York – Timelines and regulations for holding special elections to replace public office vacancies are established by New York State. Unless the elected position becomes vacant more than three months before to a general election, the governor has the authority to call a special election within certain time limitations.

If seats become vacant at the end of a term, special elections are avoided, and New Yorkers can simply cast their ballots in the next regular election. However, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik just successfully defended her seat in the 2024 general election. Stefanik was picked by President-elect Donald Trump as his first cabinet appointment when he returned to office in January 2025.

The New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) certifies the open seat for the special election and notifies local election boards within three days of a state office vacancy. According to state law, the governor must call for a special election for Congressional seats within 10 days of the vacancy being announced and set the date of the election between 70 and 80 days thereafter.

Stefanik had to formally leave her position in order to start this series of events. That might occur this week or in February, depending on the political climate in the White House and the House of Representatives.

Party certifications for nominees must be submitted within ten days of the governor’s proclamation calling for the special election, and party nominations for special elections must adhere to party regulations. After a special election is announced, independent nominations must be submitted within 12 days.

The date, the offices on the ballot, and the polling places must all be listed in election notifications published by the New York State Board of Elections at least two weeks prior to each special election. The election must be advertised online and in at least two local publications by the state and local boards.

Similar to a normal election, polling are open for special elections from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting should be open to voters in the district beginning ten days prior to the election and concluding two days prior to election day.

Since 2009, Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat in the Assembly, has annually suggested changes to the nomination procedure for extraordinary elections. Instead of allowing political parties to develop exclusive selection guidelines for the process, A1860 would have mandated primaries for special elections during the most recent legislative session.

Following George Santos’ expulsion from the House, Democratic Congressmember Tom Suozzi emerged victorious in the most recent special election for a congressional seat in New York.