What's happening
This bill allows New York boards of elections to create alternative, bipartisan poll site staffing plans to improve election efficiency.
Why it matters
Allows counties flexibility to address local staffing challenges. By letting boards of elections create their own staffing models (with state oversight), the bill could help address poll worker shortages or unique logistical issues in different counties.
Maintains bipartisan safeguards. The requirement that poll workers be split evenly between the major parties means the alternative staffing must still protect against partisan bias, preserving trust in election integrity.
Supports potential cost savings and efficiency. By permitting the consolidation of election district and poll site staffing functions, boards may be able to reduce redundancy—potentially lowering costs and making elections run more smoothly.
Protects core election procedures. The bill ensures that, even with staffing changes, critical processes like vote tabulation by election district are not compromised, maintaining accuracy and transparency in election results.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Flexible Poll Staffing
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Signed chap.417
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- 3rd reading cal.1678
- Substituted for S3146
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.323
- Rules report cal.323
- Reported
Show 3 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to ways and means
- 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.
Allow Flexible Poll Staffing
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Zellnor Myrie
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1454
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BUCHWALD -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to alternative provisions for poll site staffing
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-500 to read as follows:
§ 3-500. Alternative poll site staffing plan. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of title four of this article, a board of elections may design an alternative poll site staffing plan to more efficiently conduct an election in accordance with this section. Such alternative poll site staffing plan must be filed with the state board of elections.
2. An alternative staffing plan shall provide for at least four inspectors, equally divided among the major parties, to be assigned to each poll site, and all staffing must be likewise bipartisan. An alternative staffing plan may consolidate election district and poll site staffing functions to efficiently conduct an election pursuant to this chapter, provided the tabulation of votes by election district shall not be impaired unless consolidation of election districts for an election is otherwise permitted by this chapter, and such staffing plan complies with 9 NYCRR 6210.19(c).
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07190-01-9
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.