What's happening
This bill requires election boards to provide voters with clearer, bolded notice of election dates, hours, and polling changes.
Why it matters
Emphasizes critical election details. by requiring that notices to voters must display the dates and hours of upcoming elections in bold print, making it harder to overlook essential information.
Improves notification of polling place changes. by mandating a prominent, bolded statement ("YOUR POLLING PLACE HAS BEEN CHANGED...") if a voter's polling location moves, reducing confusion and potential disenfranchisement.
Specifies formatting to draw attention to exceptions and changes. , such as using all capital letters and bold font if the primary is not held on its usual date, ensuring voters are more likely to notice deviations from the norm.
May increase voter participation and reduce mistakes. by making time-sensitive and location-specific information more accessible and noticeable, especially for individuals who may have missed or misunderstood previous, less clear notifications.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Election Dates in Bold
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Signed chap.200
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–1
- 3rd reading cal.790
- Substituted for S6302A
- Referred to elections
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.72
- Amended on third reading 1385b
- Amended on third reading 1385a
Show 3 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading cal.226
- Reported
- Referred to election law
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Election Notices in Bold
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Zellnor Myrie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1385--B Cal. No. 226
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PERRY, JACOBSON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law -reported from committee, advanced to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading -- again amended on third reading, ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the notice of the days and hours for voting in primary and general elections
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 4-117 of the election law, as separately amended by chapters 3 and 5 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
1. The board of elections, not less than sixty-five days nor more than seventy days before the primary election in each year, shall send by mail on which is endorsed such language designated by the state board of elections to ensure postal authorities do not forward such mail but return it to the board of elections with forwarding information, when it cannot be delivered as addressed and which contains a request that any such mail received for persons not residing at the address be dropped back in the mail, a communication, in a form approved by the state board of elections, to every registered voter who has been registered without a change of address since the beginning of such year, except that the board of elections shall not be required to send such communications to voters in inactive status. The communication shall notify the voter in bold print contained in such notice of the days and hours of the ensuing primary and general elections, the place where he or she appears by his or her registration records to be entitled to vote, and also in other than bold type of the fact that voters who have moved or will have moved from the address where they were last registered must either notify the board of elections of his or her new address or vote by paper ballot at
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06676-04-9
A. 1385--B 2
the polling place for his or her new address even if such voter has not re-registered, or otherwise notified the board of elections of the change of address. If the primary will not be held on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September, the communication shall contain a conspicuous notice in all capital letters and bold font notifying the voter of the primary date. If the location of the polling place for the voter's election district has been moved, the communication shall contain the following legend in bold type: "YOUR POLLING PLACE HAS BEEN CHANGED. YOU NOW VOTE AT..........". The communication shall also indicate whether the polling place is accessible to physically disabled voters, that a voter who will be out of the city or county on the day of the primary or general election or a voter who is ill or physically disabled may obtain an absentee ballot, that a physically disabled voter whose polling place is not accessible may request that his registration record be moved to an election district which has a polling place which is accessible, the phone number to call for applications to move a registration record or for absentee ballot applications, the phone number to call for the location of registration and polling places, the phone number to call to indicate that the voter is willing to serve on election day as an election inspector, poll clerk, interpreter or in other capacities, the phone number to call to obtain an application for registration by mail, and such other information concerning the elections or registration as the board may include. In lieu of sending such communication to every registered voter, the board of elections may send a single communication to a household containing more than one registered voter, provided that the names of all such voters appear as part of the address on such communication.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of December next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
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.