Bill Text: NY A00219 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Provides that the board of elections will mail special ballots to victims of domestic violence with sufficient time to cast such ballot prior to the close of polls.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-4)

Status: (Passed) 2019-08-08 - signed chap.150 [A00219 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00219-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         219--A
                                                                 Cal. No. 67
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced   by  M.  of  A.  PAULIN,  BLAKE,  DINOWITZ,  GALEF,  JAFFEE,
          M. G. MILLER, L. ROSENTHAL, ZEBROWSKI, CROUCH,  RAIA,  OTIS,  SCHMITT,
          JACOBSON,  D'URSO  --  Multi-Sponsored  by  -- M. of A. ABBATE, ENGLE-
          BRIGHT, HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on  Election
          Law  --  reported from committee, advanced to a third reading, amended
          and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third read-
          ing
        AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to mailing special ballots
          for victims of domestic violence
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of section 11-306 of the election law, as
     2  amended by chapter 163 of the laws  of  2010,  is  amended  to  read  as
     3  follows:
     4    1.  A  voter  may  deliver  to the board of elections, in person or by
     5  mail, at any time during the period in which  absentee  ballot  applica-
     6  tions  may  be delivered, a signed written statement swearing or affirm-
     7  ing:
     8    (a) that he or she is the victim of domestic violence;
     9    (b) that he or she has left his  or  her  residence  because  of  such
    10  violence; and
    11    (c)  that  because  of  the  threat  of  physical or emotional harm to
    12  himself or herself or to family or household members, he or  she  wishes
    13  to  cast  a  special  ballot  in  the  next election. The statement must
    14  include the voter's address of registration.   The  board  of  elections
    15  shall  permit such a voter to cast a special ballot at an office of such
    16  board of elections [not earlier than one week before the  election  and]
    17  not later than the close of the polls on election day, or by mail within
    18  the  same  time  and in the same manner in which absentee ballots may be
    19  cast, provided however that the distribution of  such  ballots  to  such
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01281-02-9
        A. 219--A                           2
     1  voters shall be timed to afford such voters sufficient time to cast such
     2  ballots  prior  to  the close of the polls on election day. Such ballots
     3  shall be retained at the board  of  elections  and  cast  and  canvassed
     4  pursuant to the provisions of section 9-209 of this chapter.
     5    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.