NY State Senate Bill S1397

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to elections
Jan 09, 2017	referred to elections

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §8-100, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S6148
2015-2016: S1044

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Changes the days of voting for primary and general elections; establishes first Saturday and Sunday after the second Friday in September for the primary election as days of voting; establishes the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November for the general election as days of voting.

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 BILL NUMBER:  S1397

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the election law, in relation to the days of voting
for the primary and general elections

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

The purpose of the bill is change the days of voting for the primary
and general elections to weekend days rather than Tuesdays.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of the bill amends paragraphs (a) and (c) of subdivision 1
of section 8-100 of the election law by changing the days of voting in
"paragraph (a)" the primary election to the first Saturday and Sunday
after the second Friday in September before every general election and
in "paragraph (c)" in the general election to the Saturday and Sunday
next succeeding the first Friday in November.

Section 2 of the bill sets forth an effective date of the first of
January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The long-standing tradition of holding federal elections on the first
Tuesday of November began with an act of Congress in 1845. Tuesday was
selected for its comparative convenience because it was a designated
"court day" and the day in which land-owners would typically be in
town to conduct business. The tradition was based on the then-agrarian
American society.

Although polls are open in New York state on one day for a total of 15
hours (from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.), this one-day voting is very
inconvenient for very many people especially those who must go either
before or after the work day when there are often very long lines in
many polling places. As a result, many voters are deterred from going
to vote because of the inconvenience. Evidence of this can be seen in
the fact that only 58 percent of eligible voters cast a vote in the
2012 general election.

This includes approximately 93 million eligible voters across the
country who did-not vote. In New York, the 2012 voter turnout was even
less at approximately 53 percent of eligible voters. Changing the days
for voting to weekends will allow many more eligible voters the
necessary flexibility to get to their polling place and vote.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-2016: S.1044-A/No Same As

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To Be Determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the
same manner as the reversion of such paragraph as provided in section
13 of chapter 87 of the laws of 2015.

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  1397

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 9, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- 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 the days of voting  for
  the primary and general elections

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

  Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of  section  8-100  of  the
election  law,  as amended by chapter 17 of the laws of 2007, is amended
to read as follows:
  (a) A primary election, to be known as the fall primary, shall be held
on the first [Tuesday] SATURDAY AND SUNDAY  after  the  second  [Monday]
FRIDAY  in  September  before  every  general  election unless otherwise
changed by an act of the legislature.  In each year in which electors of
president and vice president of the United States are to be  elected  an
additional primary election, to be known as the spring primary, shall be
held on the first Tuesday in February unless otherwise changed by an act
of  the  legislature,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  delegates to the
national convention, members of state and county committees and assembly
district leaders and associate assembly district leaders.
  § 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 8-100 of  the  election
law,  as  relettered  by  chapter 373 of the laws of 1978, is amended to
read as follows:
  (c) The general election shall  be  held  annually  on  the  [Tuesday]
SATURDAY  AND SUNDAY next succeeding the first [Monday] FRIDAY in Novem-
ber.
  § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
section  one  of  this act shall take effect on the same date and in the
same manner as the reversion of such paragraph as provided in section 13
of chapter 87 of the laws of 2015.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00801-01-7

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S1397

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

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S1397 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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senate Bill S1397

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Sponsored By

Tony Avella

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1397 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments