What's happening
This bill requires a clear statement on mail, absentee, and special presidential ballot envelopes directing voters to sign the affirmation.
Why it matters
Reduces risk of ballot rejection due to missing signatures. By adding a prominent, explicit statement instructing voters to sign the envelope, the bill helps prevent common errors that can lead to ballots being disqualified, thus protecting more votes from being thrown out for technical reasons.
Promotes voter awareness and clarity. The change addresses the confusion some voters experience when completing mail, absentee, or special presidential ballots, making the signature requirement unmistakably clear and likely improving overall compliance.
Supports election integrity and administrative efficiency. Fewer unsigned envelopes mean less ambiguity for election officials, which can streamline ballot processing, reduce the need for follow-up or “curing” procedures, and help ensure timely and accurate election results.
Standardizes messaging across different ballot types. By requiring the same clear directive on all relevant envelopes, the bill creates consistency in election materials, which can help educate voters over time and foster greater public trust in the voting process.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Ballot Envelope Signatures
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by S5183B
- Advanced to third reading cal.445
- Reported
- Print number 1566b
- Amend (t) and recommit to election law
- Referred to election law
- Print number 1566a
- Amend and recommit to election law
- Referred to election law
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.
Require Ballot Envelope Signatures
Passed Assembly · Sponsor Robert Jackson
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1566--B
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. TAYLOR -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Election Law in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to including a statement on the envelopes of ballots for early mail voters, absentee voters and special presidential voters for signature affirmation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 7-119 of the election law, as added by chapter 481 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
6. On the reverse side of such inner affirmation envelope shall be printed the following statement:
AFFIRMATION
I do declare that I am a citizen of the United States, that I am duly registered in the election district shown on the reverse side of this envelope and I am qualified to vote in such district; that I have not qualified nor do I intend to vote elsewhere, that I have not committed any act nor am I under any impediment which denies me the right to vote.
I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I make any material false statement in the foregoing statement of early mail voter, I shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Date ............... 20 ................
..........................
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00491-07-6
Signature or mark of voter
..........................
Signature of Witness
(required only if voter
does not sign their own
name)
..........................
Address of Witness
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS ENVELOPE.
§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 7-122 of the election law, as amended by chapter 411 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
6. On the reverse side of such inner affirmation envelope shall be printed the following statement:
AFFIRMATION
I do declare that I am a citizen of the United States, that I am duly registered in the election district shown on the reverse side of this envelope and I am qualified to vote in such district; that I will be unable to appear personally on the day of the election for which this ballot is voted at the polling place of the election district in which I am a qualified voter because of the reason given on my application heretofore submitted; that I have not qualified nor do I intend to vote elsewhere, that I have not committed any act nor am I under any impediment which denies me the right to vote.
I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I make any material false statement in the foregoing statement of absentee voter, I shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Date.................20..... .....................................
Signature or mark of voter
.....................................
Signature of Witness (required only
if voter does not sign [his or her]
their own name)
.....................................
Address of Witness
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS ENVELOPE.
§ 3. Subdivision 3 of section 7-125 of the election law, as amended by chapter 411 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
3. On the reverse side of such envelope shall be printed the following statement:
STATEMENT OF SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL VOTER
I do declare I am a qualified special presidential voter of said district; that I am not qualified and am not able to qualify to vote elsewhere than as set forth on the reverse side of this envelope; that I am a citizen of the United States; that on the date of the election for which this ballot is voted, I will be at least eighteen years of age; and that I have not committed any act, nor am I under any impediment, which denies me the right to vote.
I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I make any material false statement in the foregoing statement, I shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Date.................20..... .....................................
Signature or mark of voter
.....................................
Signature of Witness (required only
if voter does not sign [his or her]
their own name)
.....................................
Address of Witness
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS ENVELOPE.
§ 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.