What's happening
This bill authorizes early voting in New York for fourteen days before elections, requires accessible polling sites, and sets related procedures.
Why it matters
Expands voter access by mandating a 14-day early voting period before all major elections. , making it easier for people with scheduling conflicts, work obligations, or other barriers to participate in voting.
Sets minimum requirements for polling locations and accessibility. , ensuring at least two early voting sites per assembly district, no voter traveling more than 40 miles, and at least one site per 50,000 voters—addressing rural and urban access disparities.
Requires clear communication to voters about early voting options. , including direct notice of dates, hours, and locations, which can help reduce confusion and increase turnout among less-engaged or first-time voters.
Aligns early voting processes with existing election laws while deferring result tabulation until Election Day. , which maintains election integrity and consistency, but could lead to logistical and administrative challenges for local boards of elections.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Early Voting Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 44
9 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
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
3562
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CARROLL, BENEDETTO, COLTON, MOSLEY, D'URSO, BLAKE, NIOU, RICHARDSON, PHEFFER AMATO, GLICK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to authorizing early voting
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
EARLY VOTING Section 8-600. Early voting procedures.
§ 8-600. Early voting procedures. 1. For fourteen consecutive days ending no later than the Friday preceding the date of every primary, general and special election, a person may vote for a candidate for public office in a primary, general or special election, and such early voting practice may take place at such person's designated polling place or as designated by and through a county board of elections under the powers granted pursuant to this section on or before the effective date of this section.
2. Each county board of elections shall establish permanent polling places for early voting and shall provide at least two polling places in each of the one hundred fifty assembly districts and such that no voter shall have to travel more than forty miles to reach such polling place. There shall be at least one polling place for every fifty thousand voters in a county. Early voting shall be made available each day during such period.
3. Each polling place shall be open to the public for early voting from 7 A.M. until 8 P.M. on any business day and from 7 A.M. until 8 P.M. on any Saturday or Sunday during such early voting period.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01999-01-9
A. 3562 2
§ 2. Section 4-117 of the election law is amended by adding a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-a. The notice required by subdivision one of this section shall include the dates, hours and locations of early voting for the general, special and primary elections.
§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 8-102 of the election law is amended by adding a new paragraph (k) to read as follows:
(k) Voting at each polling place for early voting shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the provisions of this article, with the exception of the tabulation and proclamation of election results.
§ 4. Section 8-104 of the election law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. This section shall apply on all early voting days as provided for in section 8-600 of this article.
§ 5. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 8-508 of the election law, as amended by chapter 200 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
(b) The second section of such report shall be reserved for the board of inspectors to enter the name, address and registration serial number of each person who is challenged on the day of election or any day in which there is early voting pursuant to section 8-600 of this article, together with the reason for the challenge. If no voters are challenged, the board of inspectors shall enter the words "No Challenges" across the space reserved for such names. In lieu of preparing section two of the challenge report, the board of elections may provide, next to the name of each voter on the computer generated registration list, a place for the inspectors of election to record the information required to be entered in such section two, or provide at the end of such computer generated registration list, a place for the inspectors of election to enter such information.
§ 6. The state board of elections shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law and shall begin with 2021 primary elections.
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.