What's happening
This bill allows voting districts in New York with fewer than ten eligible voters to combine with others without a size limit.
Why it matters
Improves election efficiency in very small districts. By allowing districts with fewer than ten eligible voters to consolidate without the usual population cap, this bill helps reduce the logistical burden and cost of operating separate polling places for extremely small populations.
Makes voting more practical for remote or sparsely populated areas. Residents in isolated or rural districts with very few voters could see improved access to voting facilities, as their polling locations could now be merged with larger, more established districts.
Ensures practicality without undermining oversight. The bill maintains requirements like separate ballots or poll books when needed, but removes the restriction on the size of combined districts in these rare cases, streamlining administration while still keeping proper election procedures in place.
Potentially increases voter awareness. The law requires notification of any polling location changes, helping ensure that even those in the smallest districts are informed about where and how to vote if their polling place is consolidated.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Merge Small Voting Districts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 44
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to election law
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
11120
IN ASSEMBLY
June 6, 2018
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Carroll) -read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to authorizing consolidation of certain voting districts with a small number of eligible voters
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 4-104 of the election law, as amended by chapter 95 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Whenever the number of voters eligible to vote in an election in any election district is less than one hundred, the polling place designated for such district may be the polling place of any other district which could properly be designated as the polling place of the first mentioned district pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, except that the polling place designated for any such district may be the polling place of any other district in such city or town provided that the distance from such first mentioned district to the polling place for such other district is not unreasonable pursuant to rules or regulations prescribed by the state board of elections and provided that the total number of persons eligible to vote in such other district in such election, including the persons eligible to vote in such first mentioned districts, is not more than five hundred. The inspectors of election and poll clerks, if any, of such other election district shall also act in all respects as the election officers for such first mentioned districts and no other inspectors shall be appointed to serve in or for such first mentioned districts. A separate poll ledger or computer generated registration list, separate voting machine or ballots and separate canvass of results shall be provided for such first mentioned districts, except that if the candidates and ballot proposals to be voted on by the voters of such districts are the same, the election districts shall be combined and shall constitute a single election district for that election. However, if the first mentioned district contains fewer than ten voters eligible to vote in such election, there shall be no limitation on the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16216-01-8
A. 11120 2
total number of persons eligible to vote in such combined district. If the polling place for any election district is moved for any election, pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision, the board of elections shall, not later than ten nor more than fifteen days before such election, mail, by first class mail, to each voter eligible to vote in such election district at such election, a notice setting forth the location of the polling place for such election and specifying that such location is for such election only.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.