Bill Text: NY A03919 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to providing voting materials and assistance in Haitian Creole in a city having a population of one million or more.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to election law [A03919 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A03919-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3919

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 8, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, WALKER, HYNDMAN, L. ROSENTHAL,
          JEAN-PIERRE,  JOYNER  --  read  once  and referred to the Committee on
          Election Law

        AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to providing voting  mate-
          rials and assistance in Haitian Creole

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new  section  3-507
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  3-507.  Board  of  elections;  voting  materials  and assistance in
     4  Haitian Creole.  A board of elections in a  city  of  over  one  million
     5  shall:
     6    (a)  Provide  all  information  that  is  provided  by such a board of
     7  elections in English about the electoral process, including registration
     8  or voting notices, forms, instructions, voting systems,  ballot  marking
     9  devices  and  ballots  in  Haitian  Creole to the extent needed to allow
    10  voters who speak Haitian Creole to participate effectively in the  elec-
    11  toral  process  and  all  voting-connected  activities.  Such  board  of
    12  elections shall also provide the same information in Haitian Creole that
    13  it provides in languages other than English on its website.  Such  board
    14  of  elections shall also produce and disseminate citywide a booklet that
    15  includes: (1) a voter registration form in English with instructions  in
    16  Haitian  Creole; (2) instructions in Haitian Creole regarding the crite-
    17  ria and application process for obtaining an absentee ballot; and (3)  a
    18  section  with  general  voter  information  in  Haitian Creole including
    19  frequently asked questions. Such board may include  other  languages  on
    20  its website and in such booklet.
    21    (b)  Provide  one or more Haitian Creole-speaking interpreters at each
    22  polling location in election districts in any county that  has  a  popu-
    23  lation comprised of five percent or more of people who identify as being
    24  Haitian  according  to  the  most  recent  United States census, for the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07268-01-3
        A. 3919                             2

     1  purpose of assisting voters whose first language is  Haitian  Creole  to
     2  participate in all aspects of the voting process.
     3    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
     4  have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
     5  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
     6  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
     7  on or before such date.