What's happening
This bill increases the maximum pay for fire district election officials in New York from $35 to $100, and from $50 to $200 for longer hours.
Why it matters
Raising the pay ceiling for election officials could make it easier for fire districts to recruit and retain qualified people. especially as these roles often require evening hours and can involve stressful, detail-oriented work that was previously compensated at very low rates.
Modernizing compensation acknowledges inflation and the rising cost of living. since the previous rates were set, ensuring that fire district election officials are not financially disadvantaged for their time and effort.
With more competitive pay, fire district elections may benefit from increased professionalism and reliability. among election inspectors and clerks, potentially reducing errors, disputes, or staffing shortages during these important local elections.
The law still allows fire districts flexibility. the board of fire commissioners can choose the actual pay within the new higher limits, so districts can tailor compensation to their budgets and local needs while not exceeding the new cap.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Raise Poll Worker Pay
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1182
- Referred to local government
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1109
- Referred to local government
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4282
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 8, 2017
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the town law, in relation to compensation of the chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 6 of section 175 of the town law, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 334 of the laws of 2011 and subdivision 6 as amended by chapter 586 of the laws of 2004, are amended to read as follows:
1. An annual election shall be held in each fire district on the second Tuesday in December, except that in the Ocean Bay Park fire district, the Lonelyville fire district, the Davis Park fire district, the Cherry Grove fire district, the Fair Harbor fire district and the Fire Island Pines fire district, Suffolk county, such annual election shall be held on the second Tuesday in July, except that in the town of Salisbury, Herkimer county, such annual election shall be held on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday in November from six o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock in the evening and except that in the Belfast fire district, Allegany county, such annual election shall be held on the first Tuesday in December. The board of fire commissioners shall give notice thereof by the publication of a notice once in one or more newspapers having a general circulation in the district. The first publication of such notice shall be not less than twenty-seven days and not more than thirty-four days prior to the date of such election. Such notice shall specify the time when and the place where such election will be held, the officers to be elected thereat and their terms of office, and the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots. The secretary of such fire district shall prepare the ballots for all elections of fire district officers and the polls shall remain open for the receipt thereof at all elections of fire
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09034-01-7
S. 4282 2
district officers from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening and such additional consecutive hours prior thereto as the board of fire commissioners of such district may have determined and specified in the notice thereof. The board of fire commissioners shall designate a resident fire district elector, who shall be a registered voter of the town, to act as chairman of any election of said district and shall designate not less than two nor more than four resident fire district electors, who shall be registered voters of the town to act as election inspectors and ballot clerks at such elections. No elective officer of the fire district shall serve as such chairman or as an election inspector or ballot clerk. The board of fire commissioners may adopt a resolution providing that such chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks shall be paid for their respective services at any such annual election or at any special election of the fire district. Such resolution, if adopted, shall fix the amount of such compensation, as follows: if the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots are from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening, a sum not to exceed [thirty-five] one hundred dollars for each such official; if additional consecutive hours prior to six o'clock in the evening are determined and specified in the notice of election, a sum not to exceed [fifty] two hundred dollars for each such official.
6. If in any fire district the number of voters is so great as to render it inexpedient or impossible to conduct the election at one polling place, the board of fire commissioners may divide the fire district into election districts and provide a polling place for each such election district, provided, however, that the number of election districts in any fire district shall not exceed one for each six hundred electors plus one for a remaining fraction of six hundred. In such event, the notice specified in subdivision one of this section shall describe the election districts and state where the polling places will be located, and the board of fire commissioners shall designate not less than two nor more than four resident fire district electors, who shall be registered voters of the town, to act as election inspectors and ballot clerks at each such polling place. The board of fire district commissioners may adopt a resolution providing that such election inspectors and ballot clerks shall be paid for their respective services at any such annual election or at any special election of the fire district. Such resolution, if adopted, shall fix the amount of such compensation as follows: if the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots are from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening, a sum not to exceed [thirty-five] one hundred dollars for each such official; if additional consecutive hours prior to six o'clock in the evening are determined and specified in the notice of election, a sum not to exceed [fifty] two hundred dollars for each such official. No elective officer of the fire district shall serve as an election inspector or ballot clerk.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the town law, in relation to compensation of the chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation would raise the amount of compensation election inspectors and ballot clerks receive
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. amends section 175 of the town law to increase the maximum amount of compensation for election workers from $35 to $100 for under 3 hour shifts and $200 for over 3 hour shifts.
Section 2. Effective date
Justification
Under the current law, election personnel are limited to $35 and $50 in compensation for working an under or over 3 hour shift, respectively. This proposed legislation would raise the maximum compensation to $100 for an under 3 hour shift and $200 for an over 3 hour shift.
Fire district election officials attend several hours of training and election prep the day of an election, for which they are not compensated. Each election official must attend a meeting to prepare registration rolls and training sessions for registration books or electronic registration books. In addition, personnel often need to spend time at an election site before and after an election to count ballots, review the election machines and a final tally announced. Election officials should be fairly compensated for the amount of time they must commit.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.