What's happening
This bill requires the state to provide voters with candidate information guides, send election reminder postcards, and mandate TV/radio election notifications.
Why it matters
Increases voter access to candidate information. by requiring the state to send out detailed guides with candidates’ biographies and policy positions, helping voters make more informed choices and potentially increasing engagement among those who feel under-informed.
Targets voter participation gaps. by mandating election reminder postcards and emails to every household with registered voters, reducing the chances that elections are missed due to forgetfulness or lack of awareness, especially among infrequent voters.
Amplifies public awareness through media. by obligating major TV and radio stations to broadcast election notifications multiple times daily in the days leading up to each election, ensuring that even those not actively seeking election information are reminded to vote.
Modernizes and standardizes election communication. by setting up a state-maintained website with up-to-date voting guide information, and requiring candidate information to be submitted electronically, streamlining both access for the public and administrative processes.
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Who cares
State and local boards of elections
The bill would require the state board to produce and distribute voter guides and election reminders, with local boards forwarding candidate biographies and potentially distributing guides with state reimbursement for postage.
Candidates for public office
Candidates could submit sworn biographies and answers to state-drafted, office-specific questions for inclusion in voter guides and an online resource.
Registered voters
Voters would receive candidate information and election-date reminders by mail and, when their email addresses are available, by email.
Major television and radio stations
Stations using public airwaves or doing business in New York would have to air election reminders at least four times daily for ten consecutive days before each primary and general election.
Headline styles
Notify Voters About Elections
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 44
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3287
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CARROLL, BLAKE, MOSLEY, D'URSO, RICHARDSON, PHEF- FER AMATO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to notifying voters of the candidates and upcoming elections
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Article 8 of the election law is amended by adding a new title 6 to read as follows:
TITLE VI
VOTER NOTIFICATIONS Section 8-600. Voting guide.
8-602. Postcards.
8-604. Television and radio.
§ 8-600. Voting guide. 1. Any candidate seeking nomination or election at the next general and primary election to any public office, or a designated agent acting on behalf of such candidate, may, at least six weeks prior to the general and primary election, file with the board of elections with which nominating and designating petitions and certificates for such office are filed pursuant to section 6-144 of this chapter a sworn statement containing biographical information, such as the candidate's occupation, educational and occupational background, prior governmental experience, and any other personal background or experience that the candidate deems relevant to the election campaign, and answers to issue based questions drafted by the state board of elections that are specified to each position.
2. The state board of elections shall, by regulation, establish the format and length of the statement authorized under this section and shall provide to candidates a standardized form for preparing such statement.
3. Within five days after the last day for filing statements under this section, all local boards of elections shall forward all such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02002-01-9
A. 3287 2
candidate biographies to the state board of elections in electronic form in a manner to be prescribed by the state board of elections.
4. In the event that any candidate biographies received by the state board of elections, from any local board of elections, is not in electronic form, the state board of elections shall, within ten days after receipt of such candidate biography, convert such candidate biography to electronic form.
5. The state board of elections shall mail and email, if a registered voter's email is available to the state board of elections, to every registered voter in each household in the state a voting guide consisting of all biographical information and answers to issue based questions, as outlined in subdivision one of this section, received from each candidate for whom the receiver of this mailing can vote for in the upcoming election. In the event the state board of elections determines that distribution of the voting guide would be more efficient and economical if done by the local boards of elections, the state board is hereby authorized to instruct all boards of elections to distribute the voting guide to at least one registered voter in each household. Should the state board so instruct the boards of elections, it shall provide a sufficient number of voting guides to each board of elections and shall promptly reimburse each board for the actual cost of postage incurred by said board in distributing the voting guides provided that said board utilize the lowest feasible postage rate charged by the United States postal service. The distribution of the voting guides to registered voters or households shall be made at least three weeks before the election to which they pertain.
6. The state board of elections shall maintain a website where all voter guide information is maintained, updated and accessible to the general public.
§ 8-602. Postcards. For each primary and general election, the state board of elections shall mail and email, if a registered voter's email is available to the state board of elections, to at least one registered voter in each household a postcard which contains information for the upcoming election that contains the date of the election. The board shall send the postcards twice before the election with the first mailing to be made no earlier than fifteen days and no later than ten days prior to the election; and with the second mailing to be made no earlier than seven days and no later than five days before the election.
§ 8-604. Television and radio. For ten consecutive days before each primary and general election, all major television and radio stations using public airwaves or doing business within the state shall inform their audience at least four times each day between the hours of seven a.m. and eleven p.m. of the upcoming election. Each of the four required notifications shall air at least three hours apart.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 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.