The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4186
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. DINOWITZ, SIMON, THIELE, GALEF -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee ballot  track-
   ing
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new  section  8-414
 to read as follows:
   §  8-414. ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL
 ASSIST COUNTY BOARDS AND THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO PROVIDE
 A SECURE WEBSITE THROUGH WHICH ANY REGISTERED VOTER WHO HAS SUBMITTED AN
 APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, OR WHO  OTHERWISE  HAS  A  RIGHT  TO
 RECEIVE  AN  ABSENTEE  BALLOT, FOR AN UPCOMING ELECTION PURSUANT TO THIS
 CHAPTER MAY VIEW THE CURRENT STATUS OF THEIR  ABSENTEE  APPLICATION  AND
 ABSENTEE  BALLOT.  SUCH  WEBSITE  SHALL  NOT  REQUIRE USERS TO CREATE AN
 ACCOUNT. SUCH WEBSITE SHALL INDICATE FOR EACH  SUCH  VOTER  WHETHER  THE
 COUNTY OR NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS:
   1.  RECEIVED  SUCH VOTER'S REQUEST FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, IF APPLICA-
 BLE;
   2. APPROVED OR REJECTED SUCH REQUEST, IF APPLICABLE, AND, IF REJECTED,
 A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR REJECTION;
   3. MAILED OR DELIVERED AN ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TO  SUCH  VOTER  FOR  SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION;
   4.  RECEIVED  SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR SUCH UPCOMING
 ELECTION; AND
   5. COUNTED OR REJECTED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION, AND, IF REJECTED, A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR
 REJECTION.
   § 2. This act shall be subject to appropriations required to cover the
 costs to develop and maintain the website.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05765-01-1

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4186--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. DINOWITZ, SIMON, THIELE, GALEF -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Election  Law  --  committee  discharged,
   bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said
   committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation  to  providing  an  online
   absentee ballot tracking system

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new  section  8-414
 to read as follows:
   § 8-414. ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS  SHALL  ESTABLISH  AND  MAINTAIN AN ELECTRONIC ABSENTEE BALLOT
 TRACKING SYSTEM. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY
 THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, EACH LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL  MAIN-
 TAIN  AN  ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TRACKING  SYSTEM  INTEGRATED  WITH THE STATE
 BOARD'S SYSTEM TO ALLOW A VOTER WHO HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR  AN
 ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TO  TRACK THE STATUS OF AN ABSENTEE APPLICATION AND AN
 ABSENTEE BALLOT ON THE STATE BOARD OR LOCAL BOARD WEBSITE.
   2. SUCH WEBSITE SHALL NOT REQUIRE USERS TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT BUT SHALL
 REQUIRE VERIFICATION THAT THE USER IS ACCESSING HIS OR  HER  OWN  RECORD
 THROUGH  THE  INCLUSION  OF  DATA IDENTIFYING THE VOTER AND THE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS AT WHICH THE VOTER IS REGISTERED, AND  ANY  OTHER  INFORMATION
 REQUIRED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   3.  THE  BALLOT  TRACKING  SYSTEM  SHALL  INDICATE TO THE VOTER IF THE
 BOARD:
   (A) RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT;
   (B) APPROVED OR REJECTED SUCH APPLICATION AND, IF REJECTED,  AN  INDI-
 CATION OF THE REASON FOR SUCH REJECTION;
   (C)  MAILED OR DELIVERED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO SUCH VOTER, THE DATE OF
 SUCH MAILING OR DELIVERY, AND THE EXPECTED DATE OF RECEIPT;
   (D) RECEIVED THE BALLOT BACK AS UNDELIVERABLE;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD05765-02-1

 A. 4186--A                          2
 
   (E) RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT;
   (F) DETERMINED THE BALLOT ENVELOPE WAS SUBJECT TO A CURE; AND
   (G) COUNTED OR REJECTED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT AND, IF
 REJECTED, A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR REJECTION.
   §  2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2022. Effective immediate-
 ly, the state board of elections shall be authorized to  promulgate  any
 rules  or  regulations  required to carry out the provisions of this act
 prior to such effective date.