Bill Text: NY A10792 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Permits the conduct of political party meetings, conventions and caucuses via video-conferencing; permits proxy voting.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-07-14 - reported referred to rules [A10792 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A10792-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10792

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      July 10, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Bichotte) --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law

        AN  ACT  relating  to permitting video-conferencing of, and proxy voting
          at, political party meetings, conventions and caucuses; and  providing
          for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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

     1    Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law or a party committee's
     2  rules to the contrary:
     3    (a) any party caucus, party meeting or party convention held  pursuant
     4  to  the  election  law  in  the  year 2020 may be held by means of video
     5  conferencing in whole or in part, at the discretion of  the  chairperson
     6  calling  such meeting; provided, however, that any required notice shall
     7  include instructions to participants as to  how  to  access  such  video
     8  conference;
     9    (b)  proxy  voting at any party caucus, party meeting or party conven-
    10  tion held pursuant to the election law in the year 2020 shall be permit-
    11  ted.  Except where a greater number is permitted by a party  committee's
    12  rules,  any person eligible to attend and vote at such a caucus, meeting
    13  or convention may hold up to ten proxies or a number of proxies equaling
    14  the number of members or delegates contained in the member's  or  deleg-
    15  ate's  assembly district, whichever is less. A proxy statement may be in
    16  the form prescribed by the party committee's rules or as accepted in the
    17  past by the party entity or may  be  substantially  as  follows:  "I,  a
    18  member or eligible voter of (insert party caucus, party meeting or party
    19  convention),  do  hereby  give my proxy authorization to (insert name of
    20  proxy holder) who shall be authorized to vote in my stead at the (insert
    21  party caucus, party meeting or party convention) to be held  on  (insert
    22  date) and any adjourned date thereof." Any proxy granted hereunder shall
    23  be  revocable  in  a  writing  provided to the secretary or chair of the
    24  party entity or by the attendance of the proxy grantor  at  the  caucus,
    25  meeting or convention stated; and
    26    (c)  a  delegate to a judicial convention may give his or her proxy to
    27  any delegate or alternate delegate in the same judicial district.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16885-02-0
        A. 10792                            2

     1    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
     2  deemed repealed December 31, 2020.