What's happening
This bill increases the maximum pay for fire district election officials in New York to $100 or $200, depending on hours worked.
Why it matters
Reflects inflation and labor market changes. By raising the pay cap for election officials from $35/$50 to $100/$200, the bill acknowledges that compensation rates set years ago may no longer be competitive or fair, which could make these positions more attractive and help fill essential election roles.
Supports election integrity and efficiency. Better compensation may encourage more qualified and committed individuals to serve as election inspectors and clerks, potentially improving the administration and oversight of fire district elections.
Addresses recruitment and retention challenges. Fire districts—often relying on local volunteers or part-time workers—can use increased pay as a tool to attract and retain reliable staff, which is especially important in communities where civic participation is declining.
Local budget impact. While the bill gives fire district boards discretion to set pay rates “up to” the new limits, districts may face higher personnel costs at election time, possibly influencing local budget planning or tax decisions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Raise Election Official Pay
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local government
- Referred to local government
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
656
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the town law, in relation to compensation of the chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 6 of section 175 of the town law, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 334 of the laws of 2011 and subdivision 6 as amended by chapter 586 of the laws of 2004, are amended to read as follows:
1. An annual election shall be held in each fire district on the second Tuesday in December, except that in the Ocean Bay Park fire district, the Lonelyville fire district, the Davis Park fire district, the Cherry Grove fire district, the Fair Harbor fire district and the Fire Island Pines fire district, Suffolk county, such annual election shall be held on the second Tuesday in July, except that in the town of Salisbury, Herkimer county, such annual election shall be held on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday in November from six o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock in the evening and except that in the Belfast fire district, Allegany county, such annual election shall be held on the first Tuesday in December. The board of fire commissioners shall give notice thereof by the publication of a notice once in one or more newspapers having a general circulation in the district. The first publication of such notice shall be not less than twenty-seven days and not more than thirty-four days prior to the date of such election. Such notice shall specify the time when and the place where such election will be held, the officers to be elected thereat and their terms of office, and the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots. The secretary of such fire district shall prepare the ballots for all elections of fire district officers and the polls
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04489-01-9
S. 656 2
shall remain open for the receipt thereof at all elections of fire district officers from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening and such additional consecutive hours prior thereto as the board of fire commissioners of such district may have determined and specified in the notice thereof. The board of fire commissioners shall designate a resident fire district elector, who shall be a registered voter of the town, to act as chairman of any election of said district and shall designate not less than two nor more than four resident fire district electors, who shall be registered voters of the town to act as election inspectors and ballot clerks at such elections. No elective officer of the fire district shall serve as such chairman or as an election inspector or ballot clerk. The board of fire commissioners may adopt a resolution providing that such chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks shall be paid for their respective services at any such annual election or at any special election of the fire district. Such resolution, if adopted, shall fix the amount of such compensation, as follows: if the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots are from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening, a sum not to exceed [thirty-five] one hundred dollars for each such official; if additional consecutive hours prior to six o'clock in the evening are determined and specified in the notice of election, a sum not to exceed [fifty] two hundred dollars for each such official.
6. If in any fire district the number of voters is so great as to render it inexpedient or impossible to conduct the election at one polling place, the board of fire commissioners may divide the fire district into election districts and provide a polling place for each such election district, provided, however, that the number of election districts in any fire district shall not exceed one for each six hundred electors plus one for a remaining fraction of six hundred. In such event, the notice specified in subdivision one of this section shall describe the election districts and state where the polling places will be located, and the board of fire commissioners shall designate not less than two nor more than four resident fire district electors, who shall be registered voters of the town, to act as election inspectors and ballot clerks at each such polling place. The board of fire district commissioners may adopt a resolution providing that such election inspectors and ballot clerks shall be paid for their respective services at any such annual election or at any special election of the fire district. Such resolution, if adopted, shall fix the amount of such compensation as follows: if the hours during which the polls will be open for the receipt of ballots are from six o'clock in the evening until nine o'clock in the evening, a sum not to exceed [thirty-five] one hundred dollars for each such official; if additional consecutive hours prior to six o'clock in the evening are determined and specified in the notice of election, a sum not to exceed [fifty] two hundred dollars for each such official. No elective officer of the fire district shall serve as an election inspector or ballot clerk.
§ 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 town law, in relation to compen- sation of the chairman, election inspectors and ballot clerks
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation would raise the amount of compensation election inspectors and ballot clerks receive
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. amends section 175 of the town law to increase the maximum amount of compensation for election workers from $35 to $100 fo r under 3 hour shifts and $200 for over 3 hour shifts.
Section 2. Effective date
Justification
Under the current law, election personnel are limited to $35 and $50 in compensation for working an under or over 3 hour shift, respe ctively. This proposed legislation would raise the maximum compensation to $100 for an under 3 hour shift and $200 for an over 3 hour shift.
Fire district election officials attend several hours of training and election prep the day of an election, for which they are not co mpensat- ed. Each election official must attend a meeting to prepare registration rolls and training sessions for registration books or electronic regis- tration books. In addition, personnel often need to spend time at an election site before and after an election to c ount ballots, review the election machines and a final tally announced. Election officials should be fairly compensated for the amount of time they must commit.
Prior legislative history
2017-18 Committed to Rules
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.