senate Bill S5115A

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Enacts the "Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2018"

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

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 (4)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 29, 2018 print number 5115a
Jan 29, 2018 amend (t) and recommit to elections
Jan 03, 2018 referred to elections
Mar 08, 2017 referred to elections

Co-Sponsors

S5115 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A5382
Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 5 Title 8 §§5-800 - 5-804, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: A10370
2019-2020: S3194, A6727

S5115 - Summary

Enacts the "Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2018"; relates to establishing the electronic personal voter registration process; provides for online voter registration.

S5115 - Sponsor Memo

S5115 - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  5115

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 8, 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  enacting  the  Voter
  Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2017; in relation to establishing
  the electronic personal voter registration process

  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 as and may be cited as
the "Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2017 (VEMA)".
  § 2. Declaration of Legislative Intent. The right to vote is a  funda-
mental  right, the well-spring of all others, secured by the federal and
state constitutions. On-line forms of communication and conducting tran-
sactions did not exist at the time New York's paper-based  voter  regis-
tration  system  was enacted. In the last twenty years, many paper-based
processes have migrated  to  on-line  processes,  including  filing  tax
returns,  applying  for social security benefits, routine banking trans-
actions, official communications and purchase transactions of all types.
This on-line migration has improved cost efficiency, increased  accessi-
bility  and provided greater convenience to the public in many contexts.
The predominantly paper-based voter registration application process  in
New  York  is  antiquated  and  must  be supplemented with on-line voter
registration.  To remove unnecessary burdens to the fundamental right of
the people to vote, the State Board of  Elections  shall  establish  the
Voter  Enfranchisement Modernization Program for the purpose of increas-
ing opportunities for voter registration by any person who is  qualified
to  be a voter under Article II of the New York State Constitution. This
effort modernizes voter registration  and  supplements  the  methods  of
voter registration provided under current law.
  §  3. Article 5 of the election law is amended by adding a new title 8
to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09394-01-7

Co-Sponsors

S5115A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A5382
Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 5 Title 8 §§5-800 - 5-804, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: A10370
2019-2020: S3194, A6727

S5115A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2018"; relates to establishing the electronic personal voter registration process; provides for online voter registration.

S5115A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S5115A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                 5115--A

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 8, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. AVELLA, ALCANTARA, HAMILTON, KLEIN, VALESKY -- read
  twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
  Committee on Elections -- recommitted to the Committee on Elections in
  accordance  with  Senate  Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill
  amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
  tee

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election law, in relation to enacting the Voter
  Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2018; in relation to establishing
  the electronic personal voter registration process

  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 as and may be cited as
the "Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2018 (VEMA)".
  §  2. Declaration of Legislative Intent. The right to vote is a funda-
mental right, the well-spring of all others, secured by the federal  and
state constitutions. On-line forms of communication and conducting tran-
sactions  did  not exist at the time New York's paper-based voter regis-
tration system was enacted. In the last twenty years,  many  paper-based
processes  have  migrated  to  on-line  processes,  including filing tax
returns, applying for social security benefits, routine  banking  trans-
actions, official communications and purchase transactions of all types.
This  on-line migration has improved cost efficiency, increased accessi-
bility and provided greater convenience to the public in many  contexts.
The  predominantly paper-based voter registration application process in
New York is antiquated and  must  be  supplemented  with  on-line  voter
registration.  To remove unnecessary burdens to the fundamental right of
the  people  to  vote,  the State Board of Elections shall establish the
Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Program for the purpose of  increas-
ing  opportunities for voter registration by any person who is qualified
to be a voter under Article II of the New York State Constitution.  This

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09394-03-8

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