What's happening
This bill requires courts to keep voter registration records of domestic violence victims confidential and separate from public access.
Why it matters
Strengthens privacy protections. for domestic violence victims by making it mandatory (not optional) for courts to keep their voter registration and related records confidential, reducing the risk of abusers locating them through public records.
Expands eligibility for confidentiality orders. by allowing not only the supreme court, but also county and family courts, to issue these protective orders, giving victims more accessible avenues to seek protection.
Limits access to sensitive information. so that only election officials performing their official duties can view these records, helping prevent accidental or intentional leaks of victims’ information.
Addresses gaps in current law. by clarifying that not just registration records but any related records about the individual must be kept separate and confidential, ensuring more comprehensive protection.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Voter Records for Survivors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to elections
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1087
- Referred to elections
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6011
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the confidentiality of registration records for victims of domestic violence
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5-508 of the election law, as added by chapter 73 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
2. Upon application made to the supreme court, county court, or family court, in the county wherein a victim of domestic violence is registered pursuant to this article, the court [may] shall issue an order requiring that any registration record kept or maintained in accordance with this article and any other records with respect to such an individual be kept separate and apart from other [registration] such records and not be made available for inspection or copying by the public or any other person, except election officials acting within the course and scope of their official duties and only as pertinent and necessary in connection therewith.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10735-02-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to the confidentiality of registration records for victims of domestic violence
Purpose
To ensure that voter registration and other records relating to a victim of domestic violence are kept confidential.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 2 of section 5-508 of the election law, to provide that application for a court order requiring registration records to be confidential can be made to county court and family court, in addition to supreme court. This section also amends the subdivision to require that the court issue such an order, rather than permitting the court to do so. Lastly, this section expands the scope of the court order so that in addition to the registration record itself, any other records with respect to an individual would also be kept confidential.
Section two provides the effective date.
Justification
The election law currently provides that a domestic violence victim can make an application to the supreme court for an order that his or her voting registration record be kept separate and apart from other records and not made available for inspection by the public. However, domestic violence victims often seek orders of protection and handle their cases in county court or family court. Having to go to supreme court to obtain the confidentiality order places an additional burden on them, and many will simply not obtain the order and stop voting out of fear that their address would be publicly available through their registration records.
In addition, the bill clarifies that other records relating to the domestic violence victim are also to be kept confidential, not just the registration records. This will ensure that other documents, such as an absentee ballot request containing an address, are protected.
Without a confidentiality order, the voter registration and other records which contain the individual's address would be available to the public. Making it easier to obtain the order, and clarifying that the order covers other records related to an individual, will enable more victims of domestic violence to vote safely.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.