| Date of Action |
Assembly Actions -
Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE |
|---|---|
| Jan 03, 2018 |
referred to elections |
| Mar 27, 2017 |
referred to elections |
Senate Bill S5418
2017-2018 Legislative Session
Sponsored By
(D, WF) 47th Senate District
Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee
Actions
2017-S5418 (ACTIVE) - Details
2017-S5418 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S5418
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the election law, in relation to
allowing voters to take photographs of themselves and their ballots
while voting
PURPOSE :
This bill removes the prohibition against voters taking photographs of
their ballots at the polls.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section one amends Section 8-300 of the election law by adding a new
subdivision 4.
Section two amends Subdivisions 10 and 11 of section 17-130 of the
election law. Section three sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION :
Social media has revolutionized the way that society does everything.
From Facebook and Twitter to Snapchat and Instagram, people of all
ages regularly utilize a number of social media platforms to promote a
variety of content. This is especially true during election season
when voters often take and post "ballot selfies" to their personal
2017-S5418 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5418
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 27, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- 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 allowing voters to take
photographs of themselves and their ballots while voting
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 8-300 of the election law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. (A) A VOTER SHALL BE ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THEMSELVES AND
THEIR OWN BALLOT, OR ABSENTEE BALLOT, WHILE IN A PRIVACY BOOTH. SUCH
VOTER SHALL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO SHARE AND DISSEMINATE SUCH PHOTOGRAPHS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION SOCIAL MEDIA SHALL
INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO FORMS OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH
WHICH USERS PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES TO SHARE INFORMATION,
IDEAS, PERSONAL MESSAGES, AND OTHER CONTENT. SOCIAL MEDIA SHALL ALSO
INCLUDE TEXT MESSAGES AND THE TRANSMISSION OF IMAGES VIA ELECTRONIC
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION.
(B) ANY PERSON WHO INTERFERES WITH A VOTER'S PHOTOGRAPH PURSUANT TO
PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR.
§ 2. Subdivisions 10 and 11 of section 17-130 of the election law are
amended to read as follows:
10. [Shows his] SOLICITS A VOTER TO SHOW HIS OR HER ballot after it is
prepared for voting, to any person so as to reveal the contents[, or
solicits a voter to show the same]; or,
11. Places any mark upon his ballot, or does any other act in
connection with his ballot with the intent that it may be identified as
the one voted by him, OTHER THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
FOUR OF SECTION 8-300 OF THIS CHAPTER; or,
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01943-02-7
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