What's happening
The bill requires tax-exempt buildings in Suffolk County to be used as polling places whenever possible and accessible.
Why it matters
Prioritizes public, tax-exempt buildings (like schools, churches, and libraries) for polling places. , which may increase the availability of accessible and familiar locations for voting, potentially improving turnout and convenience for voters.
Mandates that if such buildings are chosen, they must provide rooms close to convenient entrances and accessible to physically disabled voters. , addressing barriers to participation for people with mobility challenges.
Requires expenses related to using these buildings as polling places to be covered just like other voting locations. , so there’s no financial disincentive for choosing tax-exempt buildings, potentially expanding the pool of available facilities.
Allows multiple, separate polling places within a single large building. if public convenience requires, which could help reduce crowding and wait times during elections, especially in densely populated areas.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Use Tax-Exempt Buildings for Voting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to election law
- Referred to election law
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5704
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2019
Introduced 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 polling places in Suffolk county
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3-504 of the election law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. A building exempt from taxation shall be used whenever possible as a polling place if it is situated in the same or a contiguous election district, and may contain as many distinctly separate polling places as public convenience may require. The expense, if any, incidental to its use, shall be paid like the expense of other places of registration and voting. If the board chooses a public building for such purpose, the board or agency which controls such building must make available a room or rooms in such building which are suitable for registration and voting and which are as close as possible to a convenient entrance to such building and must make available any such room or rooms which the board determines are accessible to physically disabled voters as provided in subdivision one-a of section 4-104 of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09516-01-9
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.