NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8850

Senate Bill S8850

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to including a statement on the envelopes of ballots for absentee voters and special presidential voters for signature affirmation

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jul 29, 2020	referred to rules

co-Sponsors

2019-S8850 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10875
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§17-122 & 17-125, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S1992, A6122
2023-2024: S2057, A3905
2025-2026: S5183, A1566

2019-S8850 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes a statement on the envelopes of ballots for absentee voters and special presidential voters for signature affirmation.

2019-S8850 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8850

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to including a statement
on the envelopes of ballots for absentee voters and special presidential
voters for signature affirmation

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation is to provide conspicuous language on
absentee ballot envelopes to remind voters that they need to sign the
envelope.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends Subdivision 6 of Section 7-122 of the Election Law to
include conspicuous language below the affirmation statement that says
"IMPORTANT TO ABSENTEE VOTER: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS
ENVELOPE."

Section 2 amends Subdivision 3 of Section 7-125 of the Election Law to
include conspicuous language below the affirmation statement that says
"IMPORTANT TO ABSENTEE VOTER: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS
ENVELOPE."

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a massive increase in absentee votes to be
cast. Many people choose to vote by mail rather than at polling stations
due to health concerns. When they cast their votes either by mailing
their absentee ballots, handing them in at polling stations, or deliver-
ing them to the Board of Elections, many of these voters did not sign
the back of the absentee ballot envelope. Thousands of ballots were
deemed invalid because voters did not sign the back of the absentee
ballot envelope.

This legislation is designed to address this issue. Conspicuous language
beneath the signature line that tells voters to sign the absentee ballot
envelope will inform and remind voters to sign the envelope. This will
help to ensure that absentee ballots cast will be counted.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S8850 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8850
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               July 29, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to including  a  statement
   on  the envelopes of ballots for absentee voters and special presiden-
   tial voters for signature affirmation
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  6  of  section 7-122 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 411 of the laws  of  2019,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   6.  On  the  reverse  side of such inner affirmation envelope shall be
 printed the following statement:
                                AFFIRMATION
   I do declare that I am a citizen of the United States, that I am  duly
 registered  in  the  election district shown on the reverse side of this
 envelope and I am qualified to vote in such district;  that  I  will  be
 unable  to  appear  personally on the day of the election for which this
 ballot is voted at the polling place of the election district in which I
 am a qualified voter because of the reason given on my application here-
 tofore submitted; that I have not qualified nor  do  I  intend  to  vote
 elsewhere,  that  I have not committed any act nor am I under any imped-
 iment which denies me the right to vote.
   I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of
 my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I  make  any  material
 false statement in the foregoing statement of absentee voter, I shall be
 guilty of a misdemeanor.
 
 Date.................20.....       .....................................
                                    Signature or mark of voter
 
                                    .....................................
                                    Signature of Witness (required only
                                    if voter does not sign his or her own
                                    name)
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16981-01-0

 S. 8850                             2
 
                                    .....................................
                                    Address of Witness
 
   IMPORTANT  TO  ABSENTEE  VOTER:  YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION ON THIS
 ENVELOPE.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 7-125 of the election law, as amended by
 chapter 411 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  On the reverse side of such envelope shall be printed the  follow-
 ing statement:
 
                  STATEMENT OF SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL VOTER
 
   I  do  declare  I  am  a  qualified special presidential voter of said
 district; that I am not qualified and am not able  to  qualify  to  vote
 elsewhere than as set forth on the reverse side of this envelope; that I
 am  a citizen of the United States; that on the date of the election for
 which this ballot is voted, I will be at least eighteen  years  of  age;
 and  that  I  have not committed any act, nor am I under any impediment,
 which denies me the right to vote.
   I hereby declare that the foregoing is a true statement to the best of
 my knowledge and belief, and I understand that if I  make  any  material
 false  statement  in  the  foregoing  statement,  I shall be guilty of a
 misdemeanor.
 
 Date.................20.....       .....................................
                                    Signature or mark of voter
 
                                    .....................................
                                    Signature of Witness (required only
                                    if voter does not sign his or her own
                                    name)
 
                                    .....................................
                                    Address of Witness
 
   IMPORTANT TO SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL VOTER: YOU MUST SIGN THE AFFIRMATION
 ON THIS ENVELOPE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S8850

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson