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S1049Senate2019-2020 SessionSame asA778

Allow Voting By Mail

Official title

“Authorizes ballot by mail by removing cause for absentee ballot voting”

Sponsor Leroy ComrieSD-14+41 co-sponsorsAffects Legal
Status
In Senate Committee
Judiciary
Impact
7/10
Significant
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Judiciary

What's happening

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow all New York voters to vote by mail without needing a specific reason.

Why it matters

  1. Expands access to voting. By removing the need to provide a specific reason (like absence or illness) for voting by mail, this amendment would make it easier for all eligible voters to participate in elections, potentially increasing voter turnout.

  2. Modernizes voting infrastructure. Allowing universal mail voting would require updates to how elections are administered, likely prompting improvements in ballot processing, tracking, and security measures to handle higher volumes of mailed ballots.

  3. Reduces barriers for marginalized groups. This change could particularly benefit people with unpredictable schedules, caretakers, people with disabilities, and those with transportation challenges, making the electoral process more inclusive.

  4. Alters campaign strategies and timelines. With more people voting by mail, campaigns may need to adjust outreach efforts, as voters could cast ballots earlier and over a longer period, changing how and when candidates engage with the electorate.

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Who cares

  • Qualified voters without an absentee excuse

    The proposed constitutional amendment would let the Legislature authorize voting by mail without requiring absence from the county or New York City, illness or physical disability.

  • Voters with illnesses or physical disabilities

    The amendment would remove those conditions as constitutional prerequisites for absentee voting, allowing the Legislature to extend the option to all qualified voters.

  • State legislators

    The amendment would broaden their authority to set the manner, time and place of voting and the return and counting of votes in any election.

Headline styles

Allow Voting By Mail

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Leroy Comrie

Senator · Senate District 14

Chair, Corporations, Authorities And Commissions

History

  1. Opinion referred to judiciary
  2. To attorney-general for opinion
  3. Opinion referred to judiciary
  4. Delivered to secretary of state
  5. Returned to senate
  6. Passed assembly
  7. Ordered to third reading rules cal.7
  8. Substituted for A778
  9. Referred to judiciary
  10. Delivered to assembly
  11. Passed senateVote 56–5
  12. Ordered to third reading cal.4
Show 3 earlier actions
  1. Reported and committed to rules
  2. To attorney-general for opinion
  3. Referred to judiciary

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.

A778Assembly

Allow Vote by Mail

In Assembly Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor Clyde Vanel

Impact 7 · Significant0% to pass

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

1049

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

January 10, 2019

Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO, BAILEY, BENJAMIN, BIAGGI, BRESLIN, BROOKS, CARLUCCI, GAUGHRAN, GIANARIS, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN, JACKSON, KAMINSKY, KAPLAN, KAVANAGH, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, LIU, MARTINEZ, MAY, MAYER, METZGER, MONTGOMERY, MYRIE, PARKER, PERSAUD, RAMOS, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SANDERS, SAVINO, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS, STAVI- SKY, STEWART-COUSINS, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 2 of the constitution, in relation to authorizing ballot by mail by removing cause for absentee ballot voting

Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 2 of article 2 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

§ 2. The legislature may, by general law, provide a manner in which, and the time and place at which, qualified voters [who, on the occurrence of any election, may be absent from the county of their residence or, if residents of the city of New York, from the city, and qualified voters who, on the occurrence of any election, may be unable to appear personally at the polling place because of illness or physical disability,] may vote and for the return and canvass of their votes in any election.

§ 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendment be referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the next succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD89004-01-9

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 2 of the constitution, in relation to authoriz- ing ballot by mail by removing cause for absentee ballot voting

Purpose

This resolution shall propose to amend the state Constitution to allow for any voter to request to vote by mail without declaring any reason for doing so.

Justification

Currently, the New York State Constitution only allows absentee voting if a person expects to be absent from the county in which they live, or the City of New York, or because of illness for physical disability. As we have seen in the most recent election, many states have allowed for alternate ways of voting, including mail in voting without having to declare any reason for doing so. There is no reason to prevent New York- ers from doing so as well. By providing choices, we give voters the opportunity to cast their ballot in whatever way each finds most comfortable, whether that be in a voting booth on election day, or in the comfort of their own home prior to election day.

Legislative history

2018: S840 (Comrie) - Died in Judiciary/P-Assem.

2017: S840 (Comrie) - Died in Judiciary/P-Assem.

2016: S4456 (Comrie) - Died in Judiciary/P-Assem.

2015: S4456 (Comrie) - Died in Judiciary/P-Assem.

Fiscal implications

None to the state

Effective date

This act would take effect immediately.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.