Bill Text: NY S00630 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the boards of elections to provide a secure website or web portal through which voters can track their absentee application or absentee ballot.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-01-06 - RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN [S00630 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S00630-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           630

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, BIAGGI, LIU -- read twice and ordered print-
          ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections

        AN  ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee ballot track-
          ing

          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 8-414
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 8-414. Absentee ballot tracking. 1.   The state board  of  elections
     4  shall  establish  and  maintain  an  electronic absentee ballot tracking
     5  system by way of a secure website or web portal through which any regis-
     6  tered voter in the state who has submitted an application for an  absen-
     7  tee  ballot, or who otherwise has a right to receive an absentee ballot,
     8  for an upcoming election pursuant to this chapter may view  the  current
     9  status  of  their  absentee application or absentee ballot. Such website
    10  shall not require users to create an account. Such website  shall  indi-
    11  cate for each such voter whether the voter's board of elections has:
    12    a.  received  such voter's request for an absentee ballot, if applica-
    13  ble;
    14    b. approved or rejected such request, if applicable, and, if rejected,
    15  a brief statement of the reason for rejection;
    16    c. mailed or delivered an absentee  ballot  to  such  voter  for  such
    17  upcoming election;
    18    d.  received  such voter's completed absentee ballot for such upcoming
    19  election; and
    20    e. counted or rejected such voter's completed absentee ballot for such
    21  upcoming election, and, if rejected, a brief statement of the reason for
    22  rejection.
    23    2. Each county board of elections shall transmit electronically  in  a
    24  format  and  timeframe to be determined by the state board of elections,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06981-02-1
        S. 630                              2

     1  the data required by the state board of elections  to  be  furnished  to
     2  effectuate the requirements of this section.
     3    3. The absentee ballot tracking website or portal provided for by this
     4  section shall be used to provide information to a voter seeking informa-
     5  tion  about the voter's own ballot and shall not be used to provide such
     6  information to others.
     7    4. Notwithstanding any other provision of  this  section,  any  county
     8  board of elections or the board of the elections of the city of New York
     9  may establish and maintain an electronic absentee ballot tracking system
    10  by  way of a secure website or web portal for absentee ballot applicants
    11  who are residents of the respective county or city  of  New  York.  Such
    12  system  may  be established and maintained until the date that the state
    13  board of elections absentee ballot tracking system  is  operational  and
    14  accessible pursuant to this section.
    15    § 2.  This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    16  ing  the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective immediate-
    17  ly, the state board of elections shall be authorized to implement neces-
    18  sary rules and regulations and to take steps required to implement  this
    19  act;  and  the  county boards of elections or the board of elections for
    20  the city of New York may establish and maintain an  electronic  absentee
    21  ballot tracking system pursuant to section one of this act.