Provides early voting for a candidate in a general election no sooner than twenty days and no later than five days prior to election day at county board of elections

Summary of provisions

Amends the New York State Election Law by adding a new section 8-600 to provide for early voting twenty days prior to a primary or general election and eight days prior to a special election.

Existing law

Current law provides for voting to occur on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in the month of November- Additionally, the State constitution provides for absentee voting prior to election day in limited circumstances, as provided for by statute.

Justification

Early voting is a progressive concept that has been spreading throughout the country over the last several years in an effort to increase citizen involvement and turnout in elections. This concept differs from absentee voting in that voters may visit an election official's office, or in some states other satellite voting locations and cast a vote in person without offering an excuse for not being able to vote on election day. These locations vary and in some states include grocery stores, shopping malls, schools, and libraries. Early voting is generally conducted on the same voting equipment used in the regular election, as opposed to absentee voting, which is conducted on mail-in paper ballots.

The time period for early voting also varies by state, but in most cases is available during a period of 10-14 days before the election and generally ends the Friday or Saturday immediately preceding the election.

At this point in time, about half the states, twenty-seven to be exact, offer some form of "no excuse required" early voting. A specific breakdown of some of the larger states follows with a short description of what their statute provides for:

California - Permits no excuse early voting starting 29 days prior to election See Cal Elect. Code 3018

Florida - Permits no excuse early voting starting 15 days before an election See Fla Statute Title 9 Ch 101.657

Illinois - Permits no excuse early voting starting 22 days before an election and ending 5 days before the election. A permanent polling place for early voting must remain open during the hours of 8:30-4:30 pm. See 10111. Comp Stat. Ann 5/19-1

Louisiana- Permits no excuse early voting starting twelve days from the election and ending six days prior to. See La Rev. Stat. 18-303(B) Maine

- Permits no excuse required voting. A voter may go in person to vote at the clerk's office as soon as absentee ballots are available (typically available 30-45 days prior). See Maine Rev. Stat. Title 21A 9-753(13)8

North Carolina- Referred to as 'one stop voting' with no excuse required. Begins no earlier than the third Thursday before the election and continues through the Saturday before election day. Voter must appear at the county board of elections to exercise this option. See N C Gen. Stat 163-227.2

Texas - Permits no excuse required starting seventeen days before each election and ends four days before each election. See Tex. Elec Code 81.001

Vermont - Permits in person early voting with no excuse required. Voting starts thirty days before the primary or general election. See Vt.. Stat. 17 KS A. 2531

This bill seeks to introduce early voting to New York by providing a means in which citizens can vote early at their local board of elections up to twenty days before the actual election. In order to exercise this privilege any registered voter can show up at their local board of elections, fill out a form similar to that used to request an absentee ballot and proceed to vote on a voting machine right there at the board. The bill would also allow alternate designations to be used as established by the local board should the popularity for the program in any given county be significant.

Legislative history

2007/08: S.1425

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.