What's happening
This bill allows voting districts with fewer than ten eligible voters to be consolidated with others without a cap on total voters.
Why it matters
Addresses very small voting districts. By allowing districts with fewer than ten eligible voters to be consolidated without a cap, the bill targets highly underpopulated election districts that may be inefficient to maintain separately.
Could improve election administration efficiency. The change may reduce the need for extra polling places, staff, and resources in areas with extremely low voter counts, potentially saving money and streamlining operations.
May affect voter accessibility. While consolidating tiny districts could make administration easier, it could also mean some voters have to travel farther to cast a ballot, depending on how districts are combined and where new polling places are located.
Removes previous cap for select cases. The prior limit of 500 eligible voters per combined district will no longer apply for these very small districts, allowing for potentially much larger consolidated voting populations in specific circumstances.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Merge Small Voting Districts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A3543
- Ordered to third reading cal.1721
- Referred to rules
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.
Merge Tiny Voting Districts
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Robert C. Carroll
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6449
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 11, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to authorizing consolidation of certain voting districts with a small number of eligible voters
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 4-104 of the election law, as amended by chapter 95 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Whenever the number of voters eligible to vote in an election in any election district is less than one hundred, the polling place designated for such district may be the polling place of any other district which could properly be designated as the polling place of the first mentioned district pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, except that the polling place designated for any such district may be the polling place of any other district in such city or town provided that the distance from such first mentioned district to the polling place for such other district is not unreasonable pursuant to rules or regulations prescribed by the state board of elections and provided that the total number of persons eligible to vote in such other district in such election, including the persons eligible to vote in such first mentioned districts, is not more than five hundred. The inspectors of election and poll clerks, if any, of such other election district shall also act in all respects as the election officers for such first mentioned districts and no other inspectors shall be appointed to serve in or for such first mentioned districts. A separate poll ledger or computer generated registration list, separate voting machine or ballots and separate canvass of results shall be provided for such first mentioned districts, except that if the candidates and ballot proposals to be voted on by the voters of such districts are the same, the election districts shall be combined
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01996-01-9
S. 6449 2
and shall constitute a single election district for that election. However, if the first mentioned district contains fewer than ten voters eligible to vote in such election, there shall be no limitation on the total number of persons eligible to vote in such combined district. If the polling place for any election district is moved for any election, pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision, the board of elections shall, not later than ten nor more than fifteen days before such election, mail, by first class mail, to each voter eligible to vote in such election district at such election, a notice setting forth the location of the polling place for such election and specifying that such location is for such election only.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 authorizing consol- idation of certain voting districts with a small number of eligible voters
Purpose or general idea of bill
To ensure the most efficient administration of election districts with very few voters assigned.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of this bill amends subdivision 5 paragraph a of § 4-104 of the election law to provide that if an election district contains fewer than ten voters eligible to vote in such election then the normal limi- tation of 500 maximum voters in a combined district shall not be appli- cable.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
As a result of the 2012 and 2013 redistricting of Congressional, State Legislative and city Council Districts, the Board of Elections in the City of New York was mandated to draw approximately 250 newly created election districts with 'zero eligible voters'. Many of these EDs consist of empty tracts in the waters around the city, and likely never will encompass registered voters. Part of the problem stems from the inconsistency between the boundaries drawn for the Congressional, State, and City Council districts and the boundaries established more than a half century ago for municipal Court Districts which elect some of the Judges of the Civil Court of New York.
Furthermore, some EDs contain fewer than ten eligible voters. However, the election law as currently written requires these EDs to be assigned to a poll site and boards of election may be unable to combine these EDs with other EDs in those poll sites if the resulting election district has more than 500 eligible voters. This requires significant expendi- tures of public funds, both in terms of personnel and equipment to staff and supply ED tables with few or zero voters. Therefore, enactment of this bill is essential to provide boards of election with greater flexi- bility to combine EDs and reduce costs to tax payers.
Legislative history
A.11120 of 2017-18.
Fiscal implications
Reduced election administrative costs for Board of Election.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.