Senate Bill S8015

Signed By Governor
2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to absentee voting

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor


  • 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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Actions
Votes

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2019-S8015 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10203
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L

2019-S8015 - Summary

Authorizes absentee voting; defines the term "illness" for the purposes of absentee voting to include instances where a voter is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a risk of contracting or spreading a disease causing illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

2019-S8015 - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8015 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8015
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BIAGGI -- 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  permitting  absentee
   voting in the event of a public health risk
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 and paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section
 8-400 of the election law, subdivision 1 and paragraph (c)  of  subdivi-
 sion  3  as  amended by chapter 63 of the laws of 2010, paragraph (c) of
 subdivision 1 and subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (c) of  subdivision  3
 as  amended  by  chapter 375 of the laws of 2015, are amended to read as
 follows:
   1. A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this  chapter
 if,  on the occurrence of any village election conducted by the board of
 elections, primary election, special election, general election  or  New
 York  city  community  school  board  district or city of Buffalo school
 district election, he or she expects to be:
   (a) absent from the county of his or her residence, or, if a  resident
 of the city of New York absent from said city; or
   (b)  unable  to appear personally at the polling place of the election
 district in which he or she is a qualified voter because of  illness  or
 physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more
 individuals  who  are  ill  or physically disabled, or because he or she
 will be or is a patient in a hospital; or
   (c) a resident or patient of a veterans health  administration  hospi-
 tal; or
   (d)  absent  from  his  or  her  voting residence because he or she is
 detained in jail awaiting action by a grand jury or awaiting  trial,  or
 confined  in jail or prison after a conviction for an offense other than
 a felony, provided that he or she is qualified to vote in  the  election
 district of his or her residence[.]; OR
   (E)  UNABLE  TO APPEAR PERSONALLY AT THE POLLING PLACE OF THE ELECTION
 DISTRICT IN WHICH HE OR SHE IS A QUALIFIED VOTER BECAUSE OF THE  CONCERN
 THAT A PUBLIC HEALTH RISK EXISTS AND SUCH APPEARANCE MAY RESULT IN EXPO-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

co-Sponsors

2019-S8015A - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10203
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L

2019-S8015A - Summary

Authorizes absentee voting; defines the term "illness" for the purposes of absentee voting to include instances where a voter is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a risk of contracting or spreading a disease causing illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

2019-S8015A - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8015A - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8015--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  BIAGGI,  GOUNARDES,  HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN, KAMINSKY,
   KAPLAN, KRUEGER, MAYER, METZGER, SEPULVEDA -- read twice  and  ordered
   printed,  and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee on
   Elections -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 8-400  of  the  election  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter 63 of the laws of 2010, paragraph (c) as amended by
 chapter 375 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   1. A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this  chapter
 if,  on the occurrence of any village election conducted by the board of
 elections, primary election, special election, general election  or  New
 York  city  community  school  board  district or city of Buffalo school
 district election, he or she expects to be:
   (a) absent from the county of his or her residence, or, if a  resident
 of the city of New York absent from said city; or
   (b)  unable  to appear personally at the polling place of the election
 district in which he or she is a qualified voter because of  illness  or
 physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more
 individuals  who  are  ill  or physically disabled, or because he or she
 will be or is a patient in a hospital. FOR PURPOSES OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH,
 THE  TERM  "ILLNESS" SHALL INCLUDE THE SPREAD OR POTENTIAL SPREAD OF ANY
 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, AT A TIME OF DECLARATION OF A STATE  OF  EMERGENCY
 WITHIN THE JURISDICTION WHERE THE ELECTION IS TAKING PLACE; or
   (c)  a  resident or patient of a veterans health administration hospi-
 tal; or
   (d) absent from his or her voting  residence  because  he  or  she  is
 detained  in  jail awaiting action by a grand jury or awaiting trial, or
 confined in jail or prison after a conviction for an offense other  than
 a  felony,  provided that he or she is qualified to vote in the election
 district of his or her residence.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

co-Sponsors

2019-S8015B - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10203
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L

2019-S8015B - Summary

Authorizes absentee voting; defines the term "illness" for the purposes of absentee voting to include instances where a voter is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a risk of contracting or spreading a disease causing illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

2019-S8015B - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8015B - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8015--B
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced   by  Sens.  BIAGGI,  ADDABBO,  BROOKS,  CARLUCCI,  GAUGHRAN,
   GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM,  HOYLMAN,  JACKSON,  KAMINSKY,  KAPLAN,  KENNEDY,
   KRUEGER,  MAY,  MAYER, METZGER, MYRIE, PERSAUD, RAMOS, RIVERA, SAVINO,
   SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, STAVISKY, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered  print-
   ed,  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section 8-400 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 63 of the laws of 2010, paragraph (c) as  amended  by
 chapter 375 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this chapter
 if, on the occurrence of any village election conducted by the board  of
 elections,  primary  election, special election, general election or New
 York city community school board district  or  city  of  Buffalo  school
 district election, he or she expects to be:
   (a)  absent from the county of his or her residence, or, if a resident
 of the city of New York absent from said city; or
   (b) unable to appear personally at the polling place of  the  election
 district  in  which he or she is a qualified voter because of illness or
 physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more
 individuals who are ill or physically disabled, or  because  he  or  she
 will  be  or  is a patient in a hospital, PROVIDED THAT, FOR PURPOSES OF
 THIS  PARAGRAPH, "ILLNESS" SHALL INCLUDE INSTANCES WHERE  A  VOTER  WHO,
 DURING A DECLARATION OF A STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY RELATED TO AN EPIDEM-
 IC  OR  DISEASE  OUTBREAK  DECLARED  BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO SECTION
 TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW, IS UNABLE TO APPEAR PERSONALLY AT THE
 POLLING PLACE OF THE ELECTION DISTRICT IN WHICH  THEY  ARE  A  QUALIFIED
 VOTER  BECAUSE  THERE  IS  A  RISK OF CONTRACTING OR SPREADING A DISEASE
 CAUSING ILLNESS TO THE VOTER OR TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC; or
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-S8015C - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10203
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L

2019-S8015C - Summary

Authorizes absentee voting; defines the term "illness" for the purposes of absentee voting to include instances where a voter is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a risk of contracting or spreading a disease causing illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

2019-S8015C - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8015C - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8015--C
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. BIAGGI, ADDABBO, BROOKS, CARLUCCI, COMRIE, GAUGHRAN,
   GIANARIS,  GOUNARDES,  HARCKHAM,  HOYLMAN,  JACKSON, KAMINSKY, KAPLAN,
   KENNEDY, KRUEGER, MAY, MAYER, METZGER, MYRIE, PERSAUD, RAMOS,  RIVERA,
   SAVINO, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, STAVISKY, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered
   printed,  and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee on
   Elections -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
   amended  and  recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged,
   bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
   committee  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section 8-400 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 63 of the laws of 2010, paragraph (c) as  amended  by
 chapter 375 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this chapter
 if, on the occurrence of any village election conducted by the board  of
 elections,  primary  election, special election, general election or New
 York city community school board district  or  city  of  Buffalo  school
 district election, he or she expects to be:
   (a)  absent from the county of his or her residence, or, if a resident
 of the city of New York absent from said city; or
   (b) unable to appear personally at the polling place of  the  election
 district  in  which he or she is a qualified voter because of illness or
 physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more
 individuals who are ill or physically disabled, or  because  he  or  she
 will  be  or  is a patient in a hospital, PROVIDED THAT, FOR PURPOSES OF
 THIS  PARAGRAPH,  "ILLNESS"  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
 INSTANCES  WHERE  A  VOTER IS UNABLE TO APPEAR PERSONALLY AT THE POLLING
 PLACE OF THE ELECTION DISTRICT IN  WHICH  THEY  ARE  A  QUALIFIED  VOTER
 BECAUSE  THERE  IS A RISK OF CONTRACTING OR SPREADING A DISEASE THAT MAY
 CAUSE ILLNESS TO THE VOTER OR TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC; or
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-S8015D (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10203
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L

2019-S8015D (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes absentee voting; defines the term "illness" for the purposes of absentee voting to include instances where a voter is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a risk of contracting or spreading a disease causing illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

2019-S8015D (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8015D (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8015--D
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. BIAGGI, ADDABBO, BROOKS, CARLUCCI, COMRIE, GAUGHRAN,
   GIANARIS,  GOUNARDES,  HARCKHAM,  HOYLMAN,  JACKSON, KAMINSKY, KAPLAN,
   KENNEDY, KRUEGER, MAY, MAYER, METZGER, MYRIE, PERSAUD, RAMOS,  RIVERA,
   SAVINO, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, STAVISKY, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered
   printed,  and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee on
   Elections -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
   amended  and  recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged,
   bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
   committee  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said  committee  --  committee  discharged,
   bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said
   committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to  absentee  voting;  and
   providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 8-400  of  the  election  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter 63 of the laws of 2010, paragraph (c) as amended by
 chapter 375 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
   1. A qualified voter may vote as an absentee voter under this  chapter
 if,  on the occurrence of any village election conducted by the board of
 elections, primary election, special election, general election  or  New
 York  city  community  school  board  district or city of Buffalo school
 district election, he or she expects to be:
   (a) absent from the county of his or her residence, or, if a  resident
 of the city of New York absent from said city; or
   (b)  unable  to appear personally at the polling place of the election
 district in which he or she is a qualified voter because of  illness  or
 physical disability or duties related to the primary care of one or more
 individuals  who  are  ill  or physically disabled, or because he or she
 will be or is a patient in a hospital, PROVIDED THAT,  FOR  PURPOSES  OF
 THIS  PARAGRAPH,  "ILLNESS"  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
 INSTANCES WHERE A VOTER IS UNABLE TO APPEAR PERSONALLY  AT  THE  POLLING
 PLACE  OF  THE  ELECTION  DISTRICT  IN  WHICH THEY ARE A QUALIFIED VOTER
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

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