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

New York Assembly Bill 219 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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-Introduced.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           219
                               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  --  Multi-
          Sponsored by -- M.  of A. ABBATE, ENGLEBRIGHT, HEVESI -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Election Law
        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 mail a special ballot to every qualified voter eligible for such a
    16  ballot who requests to cast such ballot  by  mail,  whose  statement  is
    17  received  by  the  board of elections not earlier than the thirtieth day
    18  nor later than the seventh day before the election for which the  ballot
    19  is  requested  and which states the address to which the ballot is to be
    20  mailed. The board of elections shall permit  such  a  voter  to  cast  a
    21  special ballot at an office of such board of elections [not earlier than
    22  one  week before the election and] not later than the close of the polls
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01281-01-9

        A. 219                              2
     1  on election day, or by mail within the same time and in the same  manner
     2  in which absentee ballots may be cast. Such ballots shall be retained at
     3  the board of elections and cast and canvassed pursuant to the provisions
     4  of section 9-209 of this chapter.
     5    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.