Assembly Bill A8165

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  8165

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 3, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  LAVINE,  GOTTFRIED, LINARES, THIELE, REILLY,
  PAULIN, MENG, GALEF, SPANO, ROSENTHAL,  ORTIZ,  M. MILLER,  N. RIVERA,
  CAHILL,  MOLINARO, P. RIVERA, MARKEY, GABRYSZAK, ENGLEBRIGHT, ROBERTS,
  ABINANTI, CASTRO, WEPRIN, TENNEY -- Multi-Sponsored by  --  M.  of  A.
  BOYLAND, CERETTO, GOODELL, MAGEE, SWEENEY, WEISENBERG -- read once and
  referred to the Committee on Election Law

AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing the online
  voter registration act of 2011

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
the "online voter registration act of 2011".
  S 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 5-205 to read
as follows:
  S  5-205.  ONLINE  REGISTRATION.  1.  A.  THE  NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO  THE
PUBLIC  AT  ANY  TIME ON THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC WEBSITES OF THE APPROPRIATE
STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS:
  (I) ONLINE APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, THE  CONTENT  OF  WHICH
SHALL  BE SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THE FORM PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ARTI-
CLE;
  (II) ONLINE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE APPLYING TO REGISTER TO VOTE;
  (III) ONLINE COMPLETION AND SUBMISSION  BY  APPLICANTS  OF  THE  VOTER
REGISTRATION  FORM,  INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ELECTRONIC SIGNA-
TURE OF THE APPLICANT PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH B OF THIS SUBDIVISION; AND
  (IV) ONLINE RECEIPT OF COMPLETED VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS.
  B. AN APPLICATION SUBMITTED ONLINE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  SHALL  BE
DEEMED SUBMITTED ON THE DATE IT IS SENT.
  C.  AN  APPLICANT FOR VOTER REGISTRATION UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE
THEIR SIGNATURE ON FILE AT THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR  VEHI-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11733-02-1

              

A. 8165                             2

CLES OR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO THE NEW
YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO COMPLETE THEIR APPLICATION.
  2. A. UPON RECEIPT OF A COMPLETED VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION UNDER
THIS SECTION, THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE SHALL GENERATE AN IMMEDIATE ELECTRON-
IC   CONFIRMATION   THAT   THE   APPLICATION  HAS  BEEN  RECEIVED,  WITH
INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HOW THE APPLICANT MAY CHECK THE STATUS OF THE  APPLI-
CATION THEREAFTER.
  B.  THE APPROPRIATE STATE OR LOCAL OFFICIAL SHALL INFORM THE APPLICANT
FOR VOTER REGISTRATION OF THE DISPOSITION OF THE APPLICATION BY  REGULAR
MAIL PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION NINE OF SECTION 5-210 OF THIS TITLE AND, AT
THE OPTION OF THE APPLICANT, BY ELECTRONIC MAIL.
  C.  NO LEGAL DISTINCTION SHALL BE MADE BETWEEN REGISTRATION UNDER THIS
SECTION AND IN-PERSON, MAIL, OR ANY OTHER VALID REGISTRATION METHODS.
  3. A. THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  ENSURE  THAT  ANY
LEGALLY  REGISTERED VOTER ON THE STATE COMPUTERIZED LIST MAY AT ANY TIME
UPDATE SUCH VOTER'S REGISTRATION INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO SUCH VOTER'S ADDRESS AND ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS, ONLINE THROUGH  THE
OFFICIAL  PUBLIC  WEBSITE  OF  THE LIST, OR THE WEBSITE OF ANY AGENCY AT
WHICH THE VOTER MAY UPDATE THE INFORMATION IN PERSON.
  B. THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL REVISE ANY  INFORMATION
ON  THE COMPUTERIZED LIST TO REFLECT THE UPDATE MADE BY THE VOTER AT ANY
TIME UP TO AND  INCLUDING  SEVEN  DAYS  BEFORE  THE  DATE  OF  THE  NEXT
ELECTION.
  C.  UPON  THE  ONLINE  SUBMISSION  OF UPDATED REGISTRATION INFORMATION
UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION, THE APPROPRIATE STATE OR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL
SHALL SEND A NOTICE CONFIRMING RECEIPT OF  THE  UPDATED  INFORMATION  BY
REGULAR MAIL, AND, AT THE OPTION OF THE VOTER, BY ELECTRONIC MAIL.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on  or
before such date.