What's happening
This bill increases the maximum required early voting polling sites per county and mandates at least one site in every town and city of large-population counties.
Why it matters
Expanding the maximum number of early voting sites. (from 7 to 10) in larger counties means more opportunities for voters to cast ballots before Election Day, which can reduce wait times and ease crowding at polling places.
Requiring at least one early voting site in every town and city within the largest counties. specifically targets geographic fairness, making it less likely that residents in outlying or less-serviced areas will have to travel long distances to vote early.
Counties with smaller populations (fewer than 50,000 voters) will still be required to provide at least one early voting site,. ensuring that even less populous areas are not overlooked in early voting access.
The changes aim to improve voter participation and convenience. by making early voting more accessible and equitable, particularly in populous suburban and rural areas outside of New York City, which have historically faced challenges with limited polling site availability.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Early Voting Sites
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- 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.
Add More Early Voting Sites
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor Anna Kaplan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9791
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2020
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the number of polling sites for early voting in certain counties
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 8-600 of the election law, as added by chapter 6 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The board of elections shall designate polling places for early voting, which may include the offices of the board of elections, for persons to vote early pursuant to this title. There shall be so designated at least one early voting polling place for every full increment of fifty thousand registered voters in each county; provided, however, the number of early voting polling places in a county shall not be required to be greater than [seven] ten unless required by any other provision of law, and provided further that a county with fewer than fifty thousand voters shall have at least one early voting polling place; and provided further that in counties with a population of one million two hundred fifty thousand or more based on the latest federal decennial census, but outside cities with a population of one million or more based on the latest federal decennial census, each town and city in such counties shall have at least one polling place.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14391-02-9
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.