Bill Text: NY S08949 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to establishing a secure website and mobile application that allows voters who have submitted an application for an absentee ballot to view the current status of their application and absentee ballot.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-31 - REFERRED TO RULES [S08949 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08949-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8949 IN SENATE August 31, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing a website and mobile application that allows voters to view the status of their absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 8-406 of the election law, as amended by chapter 2 296 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 8-406. Absentee ballots, delivery of. 1. If the board shall find 4 that the applicant is a qualified voter of the election district 5 containing his residence as stated in his statement and that his state- 6 ment is sufficient, it shall, as soon as practicable after it shall have 7 determined his right thereto, mail to him at an address designated by 8 him, or deliver to him, or to any person designated for such purpose in 9 writing by him, at the office of the board, such an absentee voter's 10 ballot or set of ballots and an envelope therefor. If the ballot or 11 ballots are to be sent outside of the United States to a country other 12 than Canada or Mexico, such ballot or ballots shall be sent by air mail. 13 However, if an applicant who is eligible for an absentee ballot is a 14 resident of a facility operated or licensed by, or under the jurisdic- 15 tion of, the department of mental hygiene, or a resident of a facility 16 defined as a nursing home or residential health care facility pursuant 17 to subdivisions two and three of section two thousand eight hundred one 18 of the public health law, or a resident of a hospital or other facility 19 operated by the [Veteran's] Veterans Health Administration of the United 20 States, such absentee ballot need not be so mailed or delivered to any 21 such applicant but, may be delivered to the voter in the manner 22 prescribed by section 8-407 of this [chapter] title if such facility is 23 located in the county or city in which such voter is eligible to vote. 24 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the board of 25 elections shall establish a secure website and mobile application that 26 shall not require the user to create an account, but shall, through 27 methods determined by the board, require verification that the user is EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD17176-01-0S. 8949 2 1 accessing his or her own record. The information presented in such 2 website and mobile application shall be updated with any applicable 3 changes no less frequently than daily. Such website and mobile applica- 4 tion shall include, but not be limited to, allowing any registered voter 5 who has submitted an application for an absentee ballot, or who other- 6 wise has a right to receive an absentee ballot, for an upcoming election 7 pursuant to this title to view the current status of their absentee 8 application and absentee ballot. Such website and mobile application 9 shall indicate for each such voter whether the board of elections has: 10 (a) received such voter's request for an absentee ballot, if applica- 11 ble; 12 (b) approved or rejected such request, if applicable, and, if 13 rejected, a brief statement of the reason for rejection; 14 (c) mailed or delivered an absentee ballot to such voter for such 15 upcoming election, and shall include the ability for such voter to see 16 the status of a mailed absentee ballot by United States postal service 17 intelligent mail barcode or successor technology; 18 (d) received such voter's completed absentee ballot for such upcoming 19 election; and 20 (e) determined that such voter's completed absentee ballot was inval- 21 id, and, if such a finding was made, a brief statement of the reason for 22 such finding. 23 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 24 have become a law.
