Clarify Absentee Ballot Applications

Section 1. Paragraphs b, c, d, e, f and g of subdivision 2 of section 2018-a of the education law, paragraph b as amended by chapter 136 of the laws of 1991, paragraph c as amended by chapter 26 of the laws of 1994, paragraph d as amended by chapter 72 of the laws of 1988, paragraphs e and f as added by chapter 219 of the laws of 1978 and paragraph g as amended by chapter 825 of the laws of 1984, are amended and a new paragraph h is added to read as follows:

b. [(1) Where such duties, occupation, business, or studies are of such a nature as ordinarily to require such absence, a brief description of such duties, occupation, business, or studies shall be set forth in such application. (2) Where such duties, occupation, business, or studies are not of such a nature as ordinarily to require such absence, such application shall contain a statement of the special circumstances on account of which such absence is required.

c. Where the applicant expects in good faith to be absent on the day of the election because he will be on vacation elsewhere on such day, such application shall also contain the dates upon which he expects to begin and end such vacation, the place or places where he expects to be on such vacation, the name and address of his employer, if any, and if self-employed or retired, a statement to that effect.

d. Where the absence is because of detention or confinement to jail, such application shall state whether the voter is detained awaiting action of the grand jury or is confined after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD01810-01-7

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e. Where a person is or would be, if he were a qualified voter, entitled to apply for the right to vote by absentee ballot under the provisions of this section, his spouse, parent or child, if a qualified voter and a resident of the same school district, shall be entitled to vote as an absentee voter upon personally making and signing an application in accordance with the preceding provisions of this subdivision and showing that he expects to be absent from the school district on the day of the school district election by reason of accompanying or being with the spouse, child or parent who is or would be, if he were a qualified voter, so entitled to apply for the right to vote by absentee ballot, and, in the event no application is made by such spouse, child or parent, such further information as the board of registration shall require.

f] A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this section if during all the hours of voting on the day of an election he or she will be:

(1) absent from the county of his or her residence; or

(2) unable to appear at the polling place because of illness or physical disability, or duties related to the primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled, or because he or she will be or is a patient in a hospital; or

(3) an inmate or patient of a veteran's administration hospital; or

(4) absent from his or her voting residence because he or she is detained in jail awaiting action by a grand jury or awaiting trial, or confined in jail or prison after a conviction for an offense other than a felony, provided that he or she is qualified to vote in the election district of his or her residence.

c. Each person entitled to vote as an absentee voter pursuant to this section and desirous of obtaining an absentee ballot shall make written application therefor to the district clerk. Application forms for use pursuant to this section shall be in a form prescribed by the state board of elections. The use of any application which is on a form prescribed by the state board of elections shall be acceptable.

d. The application for an absentee ballot when filed must contain in each instance the following information:

(1) Applicant's full name, date of birth, and residence address, including the street and number, if any, rural delivery route, if any, mailing address if different from the residence address and an address to which the ballot shall be mailed.

(2) A statement that the applicant is a qualified and registered voter.

(3) A statement, as appropriate, that on the day of such election the applicant expects in good faith to be in one of the following categories:

(a) absent from the county of his or her residence; provided, however, if the applicant expects to be absent from such county for a duration covering more than one election and seeks an absentee ballot for each election, he or she shall state the dates when he or she expects to begin and end such absence; or

(b) unable to appear at a polling place because of illness or physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled; or

(c) an inmate or patient of a veteran's administration hospital; or

(d) detained in jail awaiting action by a grand jury or awaiting trial or confined in jail or prison after a conviction for an offense other

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than a felony and stating the place where he or she is so detained or confined.

e. Such application shall include the following statement to be signed by the voter.

I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I make any material false statement in the foregoing statement of application for absentee ballots, I shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Date.....................Signature of Voter ..........................

[g] f. An applicant whose ability to appear personally at the polling place of the school district of which he or she is a qualified voter is substantially impaired by reason of permanent illness or physical disability and whose registration record has been marked "permanently disabled" by the board of elections pursuant to the provisions of the election law shall be entitled to receive an absentee ballot pursuant to the provisions of this section without making separate application for such absentee ballot, and the board of registration upon being advised by the board of elections on or with the list of registered voters that the registration record of a voter is marked "permanently disabled" shall send an absentee ballot to such voter at his last known address with a request to the postal authorities not to forward same but to return same in five days in the event that it cannot be delivered to the addressee. The board of education shall determine whether such ballot shall be sent by first class or by certified mail. All such ballots shall be mailed in the same manner as determined by the board of education. The board of registration shall make an appropriate entry on the registration indicating the fact that an absentee ballot has been sent and the date of mailing.

g. An application must be received by the district clerk no earlier than the thirtieth day before the election for which an absentee ballot is sought. If the application requests that the absentee ballot be mailed, such application must be received not later than seven days before the election. If the applicant or his or her agent delivers the application to the district clerk in person, such application must be received not later than the day before the election. The district clerk shall examine each application and shall determine from the information contained therein whether the applicant is qualified under this section to receive an absentee ballot.

h. No later than six days before the election for which an application has been received and for which the district clerk has determined the applicant to be qualified to vote by absentee ballot the district clerk shall mail, by regular mail, an absentee ballot to each qualified applicant who has applied before such day and who has requested that such absentee ballot be mailed to him or her at the address set forth in his or her application. If the applicant or his or her agent delivers the application to the district clerk in person after the seventh day before the election and not later than the day before the election, the district clerk shall forthwith deliver such absentee ballots for those applicants whom he or she determines are qualified to make such applications and to receive such ballots to such applicants or the agents named in the applications when such applicants or agents appear in the district clerk's office.

§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.