Senate Bill S7131

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S7131

SPONSOR: KAVANAGH
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the election law, in relation to voter
registration

 
PURPOSE:

The bill authorizes voters whose applications are timely mailed and
received to vote in the next primary, general, or special election.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 3 of section 5-210 of the
election law, as amended by chapter 225 of the laws of 2015, to provide
that an application postmarked by no later than fifteen days before the
next primary, general or special election, which is received no later
than ten days before such election, or which is delivered in person at
least ten days before such election to the county board of elections,
shall entitle such applicant to vote at such election.

              

Section 2 of the bill establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Article II, Section 5 of the New York State Constitution requires that
in order to vote in an election a voter's registration must be completed
at least ten days before such election. This bill reduces the time peri-
od prior to an election during which a person can register to vote and
be entitled to vote to the constitutional ten day minimum, and clarifies
that when a registration is received at least ten days before a primary,
general or special election, the voter is entitled to vote in that
election.

Under current law, an application postmarked by twenty-five days before
the next primary, general or special election, which is received at
least 20 days before such election, or delivered in person to the county
board of elections at least 10 days before a special election entitles
the applicant to vote in that special election. It fails to address the
right of the applicant to vote in primary and general elections in the
same circumstances, which appears to be a technical error.

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:

None.

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCALITIES:

None.

 
IMPACT ON REGULATION OF BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS:

None.

 
IMPACT ON FINES, IMPRISONMENT, FORFEITURE OF RIGHTS, OR OTHER PENAL
SANCTIONS:

None.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2016: A05870 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2015: A05870 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2014: A02104 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2013: A02104 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2012: A05900 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2011: A05900 (Kavanagh) Election Law
2010: A08348 (Kavanagh)- Election Law
2009: A08348 (Kavanagh) - Election Law

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take immediately.