What's happening
This bill requires boards of elections to provide absentee ballot applications and assistance to all nursing home and senior residence voters.
Why it matters
Ensures equal voting access for nursing home and senior residence voters by mandating that absentee ballot applications and assistance are proactively provided, not just absentee ballots themselves. This reduces barriers for residents who may not have initiated the absentee voting process on their own.
Requires boards of inspectors to help residents complete absentee ballot applications if they request assistance,. addressing the needs of individuals who may have physical, cognitive, or literacy challenges—helping ensure their participation in elections.
Improves the responsiveness of the absentee voting process by requiring inspectors to immediately deliver absentee ballots and envelopes upon receipt of a completed application,. minimizing delays that could prevent timely voting.
Mandates that if a resident is registered in a different election district than where the facility is located, inspectors must promptly obtain and deliver the correct district’s ballot,. ensuring that all eligible residents can vote in the correct local races and contests.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Easier Absentee Voting for Seniors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
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 Nursing Home Voting Access
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2794
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2019
Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, CARLUCCI, MONTGOMERY, PARKER, SERRANO, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting in nursing homes and senior citizen residences
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 8-407 of the election law, as added by chapter 296 of the laws of 1988, is amended and a new subdivision 10-a is added to read as follows:
5. The board of elections shall deliver to each board of inspectors all the absentee ballots in the custody of such board of elections which are addressed to residents of the facilities which such board of inspectors is assigned to attend, together with an additional supply of the appropriate absentee ballots for the election district in which the facility is located, absentee ballot envelopes, applications for absentee ballots, one or more portable voting booths of a type approved by the state board of elections and such other supplies as such board of inspectors will require to discharge its duties properly.
10-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 8-402 of this title, the board of inspectors shall deliver an application for an absentee ballot to any resident of such facility for whom it does not have an absentee ballot and who requests such an application. The board of inspectors shall assist any such resident who requests assistance to complete such application. Upon receiving a completed application from any resident who is registered to vote at the facility, the board of inspectors shall forthwith deliver an absentee ballot and ballot envelope to such voter in the manner prescribed by this section. With respect to the application of any resident of the facility who is registered to vote from an election district other than the one in which the facility is located, the board of inspectors, if it does not have a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07439-01-9
S. 2794 2
supply of the appropriate ballot, shall forthwith obtain the appropriate ballot from the board of elections and deliver such ballot and envelope to such voter in the manner prescribed by this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting in nursing homes and senior citizen residences
Purpose
To increase voting by senior citizens and other residents of nursing homes and senior citizen residences who are unable to go to the polls by assisting them in applying for absentee ballots, delivering such ballots to them, and assisting them in completing and casting the ballot.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends election law section 8-407(5) to provide that when a board of inspectors is provided by the board of elections with absentee ballots for delivery to residents of nursing homes, residential health care and similar facilities, the board of elections shall also provide them with supply of absentee ballot applications, as well as appropriate absentee ballots and envelopes. It also adds a new subdivision 10-a to provide that the board of inspectors shall deliver an absentee ballot application to any resident of such a facility for whom it does not have an absentee ballot, who requests such an application. It further provides that the board of inspectors shall assist any resident request- ing help in completing the application, and, upon receiving the completed application, the board is required to deliver an absentee ballot and envelope to the resident.
Section 2: The bill is effective on the thirtieth day after it becomes a law.
Justification
Election law section 8-407 already establishes a process for the board of elections to send out bipartisan teams of inspectors to nursing homes and residential care facilities to conduct absentee balloting for people there who are unable to get to their poll sites on election day. By providing that when a board of inspectors goes to such a facility to deliver requested absentee ballots it shall carry applications and addi- tional ballots, and that it shall help those who want to vote, this provision makes it possible for more of those residents who want to vote to do so. This legislation has been requested by the New York City Board of Elections in many legislative proposals.
Legislative history
S 2151 COMRIE Same as A 5464 Weprin
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it becomes a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.