Add More Early Voting Sites

This section also increases the maximum required number of polling locations per county from seven to ten, and provides that the required maximum of ten does not apply where other provisions of law, including these new provisions, conflict with the maximum of ten required polling locations provision.

Section 2: Effective date.

Existing law

Currently, the board of elections in each county must designate early voting locations. There must be at least one early voting location for every full increment of 50,000 voters in each county, with a maximum required number of locations in each county set at seven. Polling plac- es for early voting should be located so that voters in the county have adequate and equitable access, taking into consideration population density, travel time to the polling place, proximity to other early voting poll sites, public transportation routes, commuter traffic patterns, and other such factors the board of elections deems appropri- ate.

Justification

In 2019, New York state lawmakers took historic steps in approving a series of reforms intended to make New York's voting process easier, more efficient, more transparent, and more accountable to its citizens. Among these reforms were the scheduling of state and federal primaries on the same day, automatic updating of voters' registrations when they move, preregistration of those ages 16 and 17 prior to an election in which they will be eligible to vote, and requirements that established 10 days of early voting which includes two full weekends prior to elections.

With regard to early voting, the intent of the legislature was to provide a flexible timeline within which voters can cast their ballots, taking into account the reality that voters often have busy schedules, vacations, and family obligations that can get in the way of voting on

election day. Early voting provides flexibility and a longer voting process that encourages civic involvement by New York's citizens.

Key components of ensuring the success and accessibility of early voting are the location and number of polling sites. The original legislation set a minimum threshold for the number of polling locations, with one polling location for each 50,000 voters. The legislature was also care- ful to include provisions stating that when siting polling locations, population density, travel time, and public transportation routes should be key considerations. These provisions recognize that inaccessibility to early voting polling locations will undermine the utility of the early voting program.

Following analysis of early voting polling site locations in the 2019 election cycle, the State Legislature discovered that every town and city on Long Island had at least one early voting polling location, with the exception of three such municipalities. Given Long Island's unique status as a densely populated area with generally long commutes which can result in difficult travel challenges, the sponsor concludes that as a matter of early voting access equity, this gap should be remedied by providing that each city and town on Long Island must provide an early voting polling location for its voters. Since only three towns/cities do not have such polling locations, the burden on localities is minimal, but will have a strong positive impact for voter access. Those voters who were left out in the 2019 election cycle will now have the opportu- nity to take advantage of the early voting system in their own communi- ties, as almost all Long Islanders already do. This legislation will increase access for a voting population that generally faces long commutes and where travel from municipality to municipality can some- times be a daunting task.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

There is no cost to the state.

Local fiscal implications

To be determined.