What's happening
This bill allows school district elections to be held in any district-owned or leased building, with required accessibility compliance.
Why it matters
Expands Voting Locations. By allowing school districts to hold elections in any district-owned or leased building, the bill increases flexibility in choosing polling sites, which could make it easier to host elections in locations that are more convenient for voters or better accommodate large crowds.
Improves Accessibility Requirements. The bill mandates compliance with specific accessibility standards from the election law for any building used, helping to ensure that polling locations are accessible to people with disabilities and meet modern standards.
Potential to Enhance Voter Turnout. Greater flexibility in choosing election sites—especially if buildings are more centrally located or familiar to the community—could lower barriers to participation and potentially increase voter turnout in school district elections.
Addresses Facility Limitations. The amendments clarify what happens if a school district lacks suitable facilities, ensuring that elections are not hindered by building limitations and that alternative accessible locations can be designated as needed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand School Election Locations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
21 Co-sponsors
- Anthony D'Urso
- Steven Englebright
- Thomas Abinanti
- David Buchwald
- Marianne Buttenschon
- Catalina Cruz
- Aileen Gunther
- Jonathan Jacobson
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Taylor Darling
- Nader Sayegh
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Kenneth Zebrowski
- Jake Ashby
- Kevin M. Byrne
- Clifford Crouch
- Joe DeStefano
- David McDonough
- Chris Tague
- Phil Steck
- Kimberly Jean-Pierre
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Print number 6253a
- Amend and recommit to education
- Referred to education
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.
Expand School Election Locations
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor James Skoufis
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6253--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, D'URSO, ENGLEBRIGHT, ABINANTI, BUCHWALD, BUTTENSCHON, CRUZ, GUNTHER, JACOBSON, JAFFEE, RAYNOR, SAYEGH, STIRPE, ZEBROWSKI, ASHBY, BYRNE, CROUCH, DeSTEFANO, McDONOUGH, TAGUE, STECK, JEAN-PIERRE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, EPSTEIN, MANK- TELOW, MIKULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the location of the annual school district elections
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 2002 of the education law, as amended by chapter 801 of the laws of 1953, subdivision 1 as amended by section 5 of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
§ 2002. Time and place of annual meeting. 1. The annual meeting and election of each school district shall be held on the third Tuesday of May in each year, provided, however that such annual meeting and election shall be held on the second Tuesday in May if the commissioner at the request of a local school board certifies no later than March first that such election would conflict with religious observances. Unless the hour and place thereof shall have been fixed by a vote of a previous district meeting, the same shall be held in the schoolhouse, or any building owned or leased by the district, at seven-thirty [o'clock in the evening] p.m. in the case of a school district that is not divided into election districts and conducts its election or vote by recording the ayes or noes of the qualified voters attending, or, in the case of all other districts, during at least six consecutive hours after six a.m., two of which hours shall be after six p.m. as determined by resolution of the trustees or board of education, provided, however, that the trustees or board of education of any school district that conducted its annual meeting at seven-thirty p.m. in nineteen hundred
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04316-04-9
A. 6253--A 2
ninety-seven may conduct its annual election and budget vote at such time in nineteen hundred ninety-eight. If a district possesses more than one schoolhouse or building, or leases more than one building, it shall be held in the one usually employed for that purpose, unless the trustees or board of education designate another, provided that if the school district is divided into election districts such annual meeting and election shall be held at such place in each election district as the board of education may designate. If the district possesses no schoolhouse or building, or does not lease a building, or if the schoolhouse or building shall not be accessible or adequate, then the annual meeting and election shall be held at such place as the trustees or board of education, or the clerk, shall designate in the notice.
2. The use of any building owned or leased by a school district, as described in subdivision one of this section, shall comply with the accessibility provisions set out in subdivisions one-a and one-b of section 4-104 of the election law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth 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.