S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    163
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  L. ROSENTHAL, BENEDETTO, BUCHWALD, ABINANTI,
   GALEF, STECK, ASHBY -- read once and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
   Election Law
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to requiring the posting
   of sample ballots on a board of elections website

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  7-118 of the election law, as amended by chapter
 157 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
   § 7-118. Ballots; facsimile and sample. The board of  elections  shall
 provide facsimile and sample ballots which shall be arranged in the form
 of  a  diagram  showing  such  part of the face of the voting machine as
 shall be in use at that election.   Such facsimile  and  sample  ballots
 shall  be  either  in  full  or  reduced size and shall contain suitable
 illustrated directions for voting on the voting machine. Such  facsimile
 ballots  shall  be  mounted  and displayed for public inspection at each
 polling place during election day. Sample ballots may be mailed  by  the
 board of elections to each eligible voter at least three days before the
 election,  or  in  lieu  thereof,  a  copy  of such sample ballot may be
 published at least once within one week preceding the election in  news-
 papers  representing  the major political parties.  EACH COUNTY BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS SHALL TRANSMIT ELECTRONICALLY IN A FORMAT TO BE DETERMINED  BY
 THE  STATE  BOARD OF ELECTIONS, AS IT IS AVAILABLE, A COPY OF THE CANDI-
 DATE AND CONTEST INFORMATION CONTAINED ON EACH OF ITS BALLOT  STYLES  TO
 THE  STATE  BOARD OF ELECTIONS. THE STATE BOARD SHALL CREATE A SYSTEM TO
 ALLOW SUCH INFORMATION TO BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE VIA ITS WEBSITE, AS
 WELL AS THE WEBSITE OF ANY COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, AND IN SUCH A  WAY
 AS  TO BE ACCESSIBLE WITH A COMPUTER SCREEN-READING PROGRAM. One copy of
 such facsimile shall be sent to each school in the county, providing the
 ninth through the twelfth years of compulsory education, and in the city
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00515-01-9

 A. 163                              2
 
 of New York to each such school in the city of New York,  at  least  one
 week  before  each general election for posting at a convenient place in
 such school. The board of elections shall also send a  facsimile  ballot
 to any other school requesting such a ballot.
   § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.