What's happening
This bill makes it a felony for anyone other than the board of elections to set up absentee ballot drop-off boxes.
Why it matters
Criminalizes unauthorized ballot collection. By making it a felony for anyone except the board of elections to set up absentee ballot drop-off boxes, the bill aims to prevent potential tampering or confusion over where ballots can be safely deposited.
Centralizes ballot security and oversight. Restricting drop-off box authority to the board of elections ensures that only official, regulated entities handle absentee ballots, which could reduce the risk of fraudulent or “fake” boxes being used to intercept or discard votes.
Could impact voter access and convenience. Limiting who can provide drop-off boxes may reduce the number and accessibility of locations for voters to return absentee ballots, particularly in areas where official resources are limited, potentially affecting turnout or ease of voting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Fake Ballot Boxes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- 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.
Ban Fake Ballot Boxes
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor Jonathan Jacobson
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1324
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2025
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- 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 prohibiting fraudulent absentee ballot drop-off boxes or receptacles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 17-172 to read as follows:
§ 17-172. Absentee ballot drop-off fraud. Any person or entity, other than the board of elections, who erects, displays or maintains an absentee ballot drop-off box or receptacle is guilty of a felony.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03969-01-5
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 prohibiting fraudulent absentee ballot drop-off boxes or receptacles
PURPOSE::
To amend the Election Law to prohibit any person or entity, other that the Board of Elections from erecting, displaying or maintaining an absentee ballot drop-off box or receptacle.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1 creates a new section of the Election Law, 17-172, which provides that a person or entity, other than Board of Elections, who erects, displays or maintains an absentee ballot drop off box or recep- tacle is guilty of a felony.
Section 2 is the effective date which is immediately.
Justification
Due to the COVID pandemic, there has been a huge increase of voters using absentee ballots to vote to avoid having to go to polling places. Many voters, however, are fearful of delays and problems with the postal service and wish to deliver their ballots in person without having to wait in long lines outside the offices of the Board of Elections or at polling places so the Boards of Elections have established absentee ballot drop-off boxes which are sometimes outside of their offices and polling sites.
In California, according to an October 14, 2020 article in the New York Times, the California Republican Party has admitted responsibility for placing more than 50 deceptively labeled "official" drop boxes for mail- in ballots.
Misleading voters is wrong no matter who does it. The voters in Califor- nia, who unwittingly deposited their ballots in these seemingly official drop-off boxes, do not know if their ballots will be delivered to the Board of Elections on time. They do not know if their ballots will be tampered with to make them void.
No one should want this to happen in New York State.
This new bill will make it clear that in New York State such fraudulent practices are prohibited and that any person or entity other than the Board of Elections who erects, displays or maintains an absentee ballot drop-off box or receptacle will be guilty of a felony.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
S.165 of 2023-2024(Hoylman-Sigal): Died in Elections
A.1104 of 2023-2024(Jackson) Died in Codes
S.4726 of 2021-2022(Hoylman):Died in Elections A.2292 of 2021-2022(Jacobson):Died in Codes
A.11103-A of 2020 (Jacobson): Died in Codes
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
None.
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.