Provides voting materials in French and Creole; requires translators in French and Creole in the city of New York at polling places in subdivisions where more than five percent of the citizens of voting age speak the language of French and/or Creole and are limited-English proficient.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9850
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 18, 2012
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PERRY, CASTRO, JACOBS, STEVENSON, WEINSTEIN,
SCARBOROUGH, P. RIVERA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO --
read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to providing voting mate-
rials and translators in French and Creole in the city of New York
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Haitian-
American Informed Voter Act".
S 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-508 to read
as follows:
S 3-508. BOARDS OF ELECTIONS; VOTING MATERIALS IN FRENCH AND CREOLE. A
BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN A CITY OF OVER ONE MILLION SHALL PROVIDE THE SAME
INFORMATION IN FRENCH AND CREOLE THAT IT PROVIDES IN LANGUAGES OTHER
THAN ENGLISH ON ITS WEBSITE. IT SHALL ALSO PRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE CITY-
WIDE A BOOKLET THAT INCLUDES: (A) A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM IN ENGLISH
WITH INSTRUCTIONS IN FRENCH AND CREOLE; (B) INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE
CRITERIA AND APPLICATION PROCESS FOR OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT; AND
(C) A SECTION WITH GENERAL INFORMATION INCLUDING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUES-
TIONS. SUCH BOARD MAY INCLUDE OTHER LANGUAGES ON ITS WEBSITE AND IN SUCH
BOOKLET.
S 3. Section 8-104 of the election law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, DURING DAYS OF PRIMARY, GENERAL AND
SPECIAL ELECTIONS, AT EACH PREMISES WHEREIN A POLLING PLACE OR PLACES
ARE LOCATED IN A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE WHERE MORE THAN FIVE
PERCENT OF THE CITIZENS OF VOTING AGE OF SUCH POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF FRENCH AND/OR CREOLE AND ARE LIMITED-ENGLISH
PROFICIENT, AT LEAST ONE FRENCH-ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND/OR CREOLE-ENGLISH
TRANSLATOR DESIGNATED BY SUCH CITY SHALL BE ASSIGNED FOR DUTY FROM THE
OPENING UNTIL THE CLOSING OF THE POLLS.
S 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided, that, effective immediately, the addition,
amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and
directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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